AKRON, Ohio – United Way of Summit & Medina today announced that Annie McFadden had joined the organization as chief of staff, impact and communications. The newly created position will oversee the areas of policy and advocacy, marketing and community impact – which includes 211, housing, financial empowerment, health and education.
As a member of United Way’s senior leadership team, McFadden will work directly with the president and CEO to develop organizational strategies and continue to foster collaborative and meaningful relationships with community leaders and partners in Summit and Medina counties.
Before taking on this new role, 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. McFadden also managed the City’s communications staff, which oversees public relations, press relations, and social, digital and traditional media communications.
United Way of Summit & Medina and the City of Akron continue to work closely together on a shared vision for addressing key issues within our community, resulting in measurable positive change. The Akron Financial Empowerment Center was a true collaboration between the two institutions which has put more than 3,000 Summit County residents on the path to financial empowerment. The City of Akron and United Way also partner on key areas of focus, like 211, housing and rent assistance.
“As my Chief of Staff, Annie worked almost daily with the dedicated and talented staff at United Way,” said Akron Mayor Dan Horrigan. “Together, our teams were able to build out effective and sustainable programs for our city and the surrounding communities. I think Annie’s transition to United Way of Summit & Medina is a perfect fit for her, and we look forward to working with her closely to further strengthen the remarkable partnership of our two organizations.”
McFadden has served in numerous leadership roles in the 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 is a graduate of the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative, a Greater Akron Chamber 30 for the Future Awardee, a member of Leadership Akron Class 37 and a Board Member Emeritus at Habitat for Humanity Summit County.
“I am excited to have Annie join our team,” said Jim Mullen, president and CEO of United Way of Summit & Medina. “The City of Akron represents one of our longest and most important partnerships. Annie’s experience as deputy mayor, her deep connections throughout the local community and the insights she has gained throughout her accomplished career will be an enormous asset to United Way. We look forward to seeing her leverage her talent and her expertise to continue serving our community.”
About United Way of Summit & Medina
United Way of Summit & Medina takes on the issues that matter most to children and families. We pursue Bold Goals through forward-thinking strategies, innovative programs and hands-on work in our community. We team up with private and public leaders, local businesses and thousands of volunteers from across our community to create change that matters. Learn more at uwsummitmedina.org.