United Way of Summit & Medina Confirms McFadden as President and CEO
The Executive Committee of the Board of Directors of United Way of Summit & Medina has unanimously confirmed Annie McFadden as President & CEO of the organization, effective immediately. McFadden has been Interim President & CEO since December of 2024.
McFadden is the 8th President & CEO in the nearly 110-year history of the organization, and the first woman to be at the helm. She initially joined United Way as Chief of Staff, Impact & Communications in August of 2022, after working as Mayor Dan Horrigan’s Chief of Staff, the first woman to hold that title on a permanent basis for the City of Akron.
In her tenure so far as Interim, McFadden has moved the mission and vision of United Way forward during a time of dynamic change in our community. While maintaining UWSM vital services like 211, housing supports, family resources centers and one-on-one financial coaching, McFadden has also been able to pivot spending and streamline costs. These operational efficiencies, combined with an increased focus on revenue diversification, will provide long term stability for the organization.
“UWSM is and will remain a strong and pivotal organization in this community. Since 2018 and into the COVID years, our programmatic work and staffing have grown a great deal. Five years post-COVID, I am now laser-focused on empowering our knowledgeable and talented staff to their full capabilities, with our efforts geared towards streamlining our programs and workload for maximum impact. During times of fluctuation like now, it’s absolutely vital that we make every dollar we raise stretch farther. People need help in our community, and they need it now, and we are ideally positioned to meet those needs,” says McFadden.
She adds, “Since the day I took over, I’ve been engaged with our board & staff, community leaders, partner agencies, donors and community members to assure we are not making these tough but necessary decisions in a vacuum, nor are we doing them alone. I am eternally grateful for the support of countless partners, supporters and fellow nonprofits who are working alongside us to navigate these changes together.”
Over the past six months, McFadden has been working closely alongside United Way’s Board of Directors to ensure the organization stays strong to support those in need. “Annie is a strong and dedicated leader in our community, and she was our immediate first thought as we faced a leadership transition. Now, six months into her tenure as Interim, in a very fluid and dynamic environment, she has led with clarity, compassion and perseverance. We look forward to continuing this work with Annie and watching her lead this organization into a new era,” said Whitt Butler, EY Americas Consulting Vice Chair and United Way of Summit & Medina Board Chair.
The community can hear more from United Way staff and board leadership at the organization’s upcoming Report to the Community, on August 13th at 11:30 a.m. at the John S. Knight Center in downtown Akron. Tickets and sponsorships are now available.