Akron Mayor-elect Dan Horrigan unveiled seven new members of his cabinet Monday, saying the group is “not afraid to challenge me or the status quo.”
The new mayor, making the announcement at the Akron Community Foundation, described the leaders as experienced, diverse and smart.
They are:
• Eve Belfance: law director. She is a former Akron Municipal and Ohio Ninth District Court of Appeals judge.
• Charles Brown: deputy mayor for public safety. He has served as assistant police chief since 2013 and previously worked in various roles for the department for nearly three decades.
• Christine Curry: assistant to the mayor/director of communications. She now serves as a director of development-stewardship/donor services at the University of Akron.
• Steve Fricker: deputy director of finance. He has served as city treasurer since 2008.
• Annie Ochsenhirt-McFadden: assistant to the mayor/deputy chief of staff. She is principal and owner of 5Eleven Consulting LLC, a management and marketing firm.
• Jason Segedy: director of planning and urban development. He now serves as director of the Akron Metropolitan Area Transportation Study.
• Marco Sommerville: deputy mayor for intergovernmental affairs and senior adviser to the mayor. He is a former longtime City Council member who took over as planning and urban development director in 2012.
John Moore and Diane Miller-Dawson will continue to serve in their roles as public service director and finance director, respectively.
“They bring a tremendous amount of energy,” Horrigan said about the overall group.
The new mayor is still looking to fill human resources and economic development positions.
The position of deputy mayor for intergovernmental affairs and senior adviser to the mayor currently is unfilled. Horrigan said he is moving Sommerville to that post to serve more as a utility player because of his experience.
Curry said she’s looking forward to starting her new job.
“I can’t even express how excited I am because I love Akron,” she said.
The appointments are effective Jan. 4. The salaries were not released Monday, but will be before they start their jobs, according to a news release.
Rick Armon can be reached at 330-996-3569 or rarmon@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter at @armonrickABJ.