Annie serves as the 8th President and CEO of United Way of Summit & Medina and is the first woman to lead the nearly 110-year-old organization. Her leadership direction focuses on aligning systems, people and problems to create sustainable and long-term solutions for the good of the community.
Prior to her appointment as President and CEO, Annie served as Chief of Staff, Impact and Communications, working closely with organizational staff and community leaders to help develop and execute strategies to fulfill the mission and vision of United Way of Summit & Medina. She oversaw the areas of policy and advocacy, communications and community impact – which includes 211, housing, financial empowerment, health and education. As Chief of Staff, she worked directly with the president and CEO as a key strategic leader, fostering collaborative and meaningful relationships with community stakeholders and partners in Summit and Medina counties.
Before joining United Way, Annie served as Deputy Mayor for Administration and Chief of Staff to Akron Mayor Dan Horrigan. She oversaw the day-to-day operations of the Office of the Mayor, Cabinet priorities and functions, as well as strategic initiatives and special projects as designated by the mayor. Annie also managed the City’s communications staff, which oversees public relations, press relations, and social, digital and traditional media communications. She has served in numerous leadership roles in our local community, including acting as campaign manager or lead strategist on over a dozen public awareness campaigns for non-partisan ballot issues in Summit County since 2012. She worked as an account manager at TRIAD Communications, Inc., before creating her own campaign management firm, 5eleven Consulting, in 2015.
Annie is a graduate of the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative, a 2019 Greater Akron Chamber 30 for the Future Awardee, a member of Leadership Akron Class 37 and a member of the Board of Directors for both Habitat for Humanity of Summit County and ArtsNow.
She is a native of Akron and a 2000 graduate of St. Vincent-St. Mary High School. She holds a bachelor’s degree in communication studies and advertising from Saint Mary’s College in Notre Dame, Indiana. She currently lives in West Akron with her husband, son and labrador retriever.