Speaker: 
Amy Freitag comes to New York Restoration Project (NYRP) with a professional background that includes serving in the Bloomberg Administration as Deputy Commissioner for Capital Projects in the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation for six years and Fairmount Park in Philadelphia. While at the NYC Parks Department, she administered a $3 billion capital program – during what is considered the largest period of investment in the City’s parks and open spaces since the 1930s. 

For full speaker bio and event details please visit: https://bit.ly/3ONPKZh

Amy Freitag, New York Restoration Project: Building a Resilient City

Presentation: 
Why do Black American women suffer a 300% maternal mortality rate as compared to white women? Why do Native American babies suffer the highest infant mortality rate in the developed world? Why are BIPOC Americans charged and incarcerated at a rate of 6-9 times that of white Americans despite comparable crime rates. And how do we R.I.S.E. up to these challenges in a meaningful way? 

Speaker: 
Qasim Rashid is a human rights attorney based in Chicago. Mr. Rashid’s practice focuses on matters dealing with civil rights, immigration, non-profits, consulting, media, and political consulting. Mr. Rashid began his legal career working for a major financial institution to build out consumer finance protection policies and help manage corporate litigation for a $1.2B portfolio. He then pivoted his practice to include non-profit and civil rights matters, where he has worked with several national non-profit organizations focused on women’s rights, racial justice, and religious freedom. 

For full speaker bio and event details visit: https://bit.ly/3Dk7dVZ

Qasim Rashid, Human Rights Attorney: R.I.S.E Up for Racial and Healthcare Justice

Theron Brown will take us on a musical journey from past to present as he unpacks the stories and spirit of Howard Street. He’ll reveal the cultural significance of this gift to the city of Akron and a new synergy around the realization of wealth that was formed during an important era of jazz history in our community.

Akron Roundtable Presentation - Theron Brown.

Join us for a facilitated session as leaders from agriculture and energy come together to discuss the pressing issues and promising pathways for the future of climate change.  Through an engaging facilitated discussion by Zaria Johnson, we will unpack the intricate relationship between energy, agriculture, and climate change. Panelist Mike Chadsey and Erin Fitzgerald will share valuable insights into the current state of affairs and explore the exciting opportunities that lie ahead. Discover how energy, agriculture, and climate-conscious business are reshaping industries and communities worldwide.  This session will shed light on the interdependencies between energy production, agricultural systems, and climate action, emphasizing their profound influence on one another. Learn about the strategies, policies, business models, and technological advancements driving sustainability in these sectors. Explore innovative initiatives and collaborative efforts that are building a more resilient and environmentally responsible future.  Don't miss this opportunity to be part of the conversation. Be prepared to delve into practical solutions and approaches to address the challenges posed by climate change. Together, we will explore how we can foster economic growth, achieve energy independence, ensure food security, and mitigate the impacts of climate change.

Akron Roundtable Presentation - Erin Fitzgerald, Michael Chadsey

This presentation will provide an overview of the factors that may be contributing to the recent rise in juvenile crime and violence including the easy availability and use of more lethal firearms, the role of exposure to violence impacting youth mental health, the rising influence of social media particularly as it is manifested via cyberbullying in and outside of schools, and the lingering impacts of the COVID pandemic. Examples of promising community based efforts to address youth violence will be provided as well as what has been shown not to work.

Akron Roundtable Presentation - Daniel J. Flannery

Steve's remarks will address foundational information regarding where the Cannabis industry is today (nationally, in Ohio), some historical insight on how it got there, what we know about what’s going on at the federal and state levels, and what the emerging issues and opportunities might be. He will also address the elephant in the room: the conflict between state and federal law (assuming no changes before the November election in Ohio).

Akron Roundtable Presentation - Stephen Lenn

September 21, 2000: David A. Lieberth, Chairman of Imagine. Akron: 2025, spoke to the Akron Roundtable at 11:45 a.m. on Thursday, September 21, at Tangier Restaurant, 532 W. Market St., Akron. He presented the inaugural report of the year-long study to project Akron's future into the 21st century conducted by Imagine.Akron: 2025.

Akron Roundtable - David A. Lieberth

What exactly is artificial intelligence, and why are so many companies working on it? What’s exciting about it, and what’s worrisome? Join me as I dive into the state of the art in “intelligent” technology, how the “AI” we know today has evolved, and what it all means for the future.

Margaret Mitchell is a researcher focused on the ins and outs of machine learning and ethics-informed AI development in tech. She has published around 100 papers on natural language generation, assistive technology, computer vision, and AI ethics, and holds multiple patents in the areas of conversation generation and sentiment classification. She has recently received recognition as one of Time's Most Influential People of 2023.

She currently works at Hugging Face as Chief Ethics Scientist, driving forward work in the ML development ecosystem, ML data governance, AI evaluation, and AI ethics. She previously worked at Google AI as a Staff Research Scientist, where she founded and co-led Google's Ethical AI group, focused on foundational AI ethics research and operationalizing AI ethics Google-internally. Before joining Google, she was a researcher at Microsoft Research, focused on computer vision-to-language generation; and was a postdoc at Johns Hopkins, focused on Bayesian modeling and information extraction.

She holds a PhD in Computer Science from the University of Aberdeen and a Master's in computational linguistics from the University of Washington. While earning her degrees, she also worked from 2005-2012 on machine learning, neurological disorders, and assistive technology at Oregon Health and Science University.

She has spearheaded a number of workshops and initiatives at the intersections of diversity, inclusion, computer science, and ethics. Her work has received awards from Secretary of Defense Ash Carter and the American Foundation for the Blind, and has been implemented by multiple technology companies.

ART - Margaret Mitchell

The local news industry is in crisis at the same time that politics is more polarized than ever. In this talk, Darr will discuss his research showing how stronger local news can push back on polarization, make government work better, and adapt to today’s media environment.

Joshua P. Darr (he/his) joined the Newhouse School in Fall 2023 as an associate professor, teaching classes in political communication.

Prior to joining Syracuse University, Darr was the associate dean of research and strategic initiatives and associate professor at the Manship School of Mass Communication at Louisiana State University from 2015-23, where he taught classes in political communication research, media and policy and campaigns and elections.

Professor Darr’s research focuses on campaign strategy, political knowledge, partisan polarization and local news. In their 2021 book, "Home Style Opinion: How Local Newspapers Can Slow Polarization" (Cambridge University Press, 2021), Darr and co-authors Matthew Hitt and Johanna Dunaway studied what happened when a local newspaper dropped national opinion coverage, finding less polarization and more discussion of state and local issues in the resulting space.

In 2022, Darr received the prestigious Andrew Carnegie Fellowship for his project, “Partnering with Local News to Reduce Polarization,” which investigates the ways that newsrooms can earn back trust and reduce political polarization through their coverage of local and national politics.

He also received the Top Interactive Paper Award from the Political Communication Division of the International Communication Association in 2022 (with Jessica Feezell, Kathleen Searles, John Wagner, Ray Pingree, Mingxiao Sui, and Brian Watson) and the Lynda Lee Kaid Award for the best published article in political communication from the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (with Matthew Hitt and Johanna Dunaway).

Darr earned a Ph.D. in political science in 2015 and an M.A. in political science in 2011 from the University of Pennsylvania. He also received a B.A. in political science from Boston College in 2009.

ART - Joshua P. Darr

The provision of healthcare for women has become increasingly complex since the US Supreme Court’s Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health Organization ruling that the U.S. Constitution does not confer a right to abortion. Dr. Jennifer Savitski will discuss the current state of abortion access, the impact of State legislation and how providers and patients across the country are adapting to this new landscape of women’s healthcare.

Dr. Jennifer Savitski has spent her career serving the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology at Cleveland Clinic Akron General and the patients and communities served by the Akron General Health System. She completed her residency at Akron General and has been a member of Cleveland Clinic Akron General’s Medical Staff since 2005.

Dr. Savitski has held many leadership roles and is currently the Chair of the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Medical Director of CCAG’s Forensic Nursing program called the PATH Center (Providing Access to Healing). She led the team that created Akron General’s first Forensic Nursing program in response to a community need for these services. Thousands of victims of crime have been cared for by the PATH Center under Dr. Savitski’s leadership. She also established CCAG’s first Centering Pregnancy Program at the Women’s Health Center to address the disparities in outcomes for Black pregnant people and the infant mortality crisis disproportionately affecting Black infants. These efforts have resulted in her being recognized as the Northeast Ohio Women’s Network Woman of Achievement, the Ohio Alliance to End Sexual Violence Institutional Change Maker and the recipient of the CCAG Graduate Medical Education Leadership Award.

She is an Associate Professor of Obstetrics & Gynecology at Northeast Ohio Medical University, where she also served on the Obstetrics & Gynecology Council and collaborated with the OB/GYN Student Interest Group. Her memberships include Fellow in the American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists, Association of Professors of Gynecology & Obstetrics, International Association of Forensic Nurses, Ohio State Medical Association and Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society.

Dr. Savitski proudly serves her community through involvement with the Ohio Department of Health Pregnancy Associated Mortality Review Board, the Summit County Public Health Department Child, Fetal and Infant Fatality Review Board and the Haven of Rest. She previously served on the Ohio Commission on Minority Health and The City of Akron’s Social Justice and Racial Equality Task Force. She currently sits on the Executive Committee of the Greater Akron Chamber of Commerce, the Executive Committee of Full Term First Birthday Greater Akron, and is the President of the Women’s Network Leadership Institute.

She received her undergraduate degree from The University of Akron and medical degree from East Tennessee State University, Quillen College of Medicine. She is board-certified in Obstetrics & Gynecology.

Dr. Savitski lives in West Akron with her husband Edward. They have three daughters: Josephine, Veronica, and Elizabeth.

ART - Jennifer L. Savitski

One of the consequential materials industry of the 20th century is facing its most difficult challenge yet, as society expects plastics to provide the same level of comfort and convenience we are used to without harming the environment when we create and dispose of them. The talk will discuss how the industry is responding to these challenges and how innovation within and across the value chain and change in our behavior as consumers can help accomplish this goal.

Kumar Sanketh currently serves as the R&D Director of Functional Polymers product R&D within Packaging, Specialty Plastics & Hydrocarbons (PSP&H) division at Dow Inc. PSP&H is the largest division in Dow with sales of $28B serving Packaging, Infrastructure, Consumer, Transportation and Wire & Cable, markets. In this role, he manages a global team of 120 researchers working on product / formulation innovation in Polyethylene, POE Elastomers, Adhesives & High-pressure copolymers. His responsibilities include talent development, influencing business strategy and driving a robust innovation pipeline.

Prior to this role, from 2015-2021, he held leadership roles in Technical Service & Development (TS&D) for North America region leading teams serving customers across various market segments. In this role, he had responsibility to help deliver the sales plan for the region and monetize the innovation product portfolio. During his tenure, he helped launch new products for caps & closures, pressure pipe, pharma, and other durable applications. Two of the products were also recognized with “R&D 100 finalist” awards. Prior to that, Kumar was leader in material science group, leading efforts in the identification and development of structure property relationships for applications within packaging markets. From 2007 - 2014, Kumar worked as an individual contributor working in area of encapsulation films for solar modules, development of polyurethane dispersions for coatings market as well as understanding fundamentals of scratch and mar behaviour of coatings.

Kumar joined Dow in 2007 after completing his PhD in Polymer Science and Masters in Polymer Engineering from University of Akron. Kumar has published 15+ publications in peer reviewed journals and his work at Dow has resulted in 12+ granted patents and patent applications. Kumar has also received a graduate leadership certificate from Jones school of business at Rice University in 2018. He currently serves on the board of SPE, South Texas Chapter.

Kumar lives in greater Houston area with his wife, Sushma and 2 daughters Siri & Neha. They also have a dog named Oreo. Outside of Work, Kumar enjoys painting, gardening, and cooking.

ART - Kumar N. Sanketh

Shammas believes deeply that for our city to have a successful future, we must change how our city government works – creating a city hall that is more open, more responsive, and more collaborative. He knows that if every one of the 190,000 residents of this city feels heard, we can get folks energized and empowered to be a part of real community-based solutions so everyone feels safe in their neighborhoods, so students can thrive in school, and so young people from Akron can build an amazing life without leaving home.

ART - Mayor Malik

Northeast Ohio Medical University was founded in 1973 to meet Northeast Ohio’s critical need for primary care physicians. Formed as a single college that served three universities — The University of Akron, Kent State University and Youngstown State University – whose premed students would serve as a pipeline for future doctors. NEOMED has always believed that knowledge is power… and that collaboration is the way to accelerate that knowledge into practice.

The fledgling College would also develop association agreements with hospitals in Akron (Summa [Akron City Hospital], Akron Children’s and Akron General), Canton and Youngstown. Those hospitals would help build the foundation for clinical training of the College’s inaugural class of 42 students.

Now in its 50th year, NEOMED is a single university with more than 1,000 students with four colleges of its own ― Colleges of Medicine, Pharmacy and Graduate Studies, and the Bitonte College of Dentistry. More than 50% of its nearly 6,000 graduates live in and practice in Northeast Ohio. And many are doing amazing things and serving in leadership positions.

NEOMED accelerates positive change to medical education, research and practice by also collaborating with its clinical network of nationally-ranked hospitals, which now includes health systems in Cleveland.

But many opportunities in medical education, practice and discovery remained largely untapped. In 2020, recognizing that as much as 90% of modifiable health outcomes are due to social determinants of health, and that several other concerns, including physician shortages and medical costs, have a negative impact on health care, NEOMED worked with over 200 internal and external stakeholders to develop a new strategic plan

From that 2020 plan, there emerged more than 100 initiatives that NEOMED has committed to, launched and/or executed, each delivering on the University’s mission for which it harnesses diversity, innovation and collaboration to create transformative leaders and improve health through education, discovery and service.

ART - Dr. John Langell (2)

Since 2021, the landscape of collegiate athletics has been in a state of rapid transformation. One could argue that it has experienced more change in the past three years than in the previous fifty. This transformation has been marked by the introduction of NIL, which allows student-athletes to monetize their name, image, and likeness.  While this legislation was enough to cause a sea change in the college sports ecosystem, it has been magnified by the approval of an unlimited transfer portal and Conference realignment.  Throughout this time of unprecedented change, Learfield has consistently proven to be a trusted solutions provider for Athletic Departments nationwide.

Chris Bloomfield is a Vice President in Learfield's Collegiate Multimedia Rights Division, overseeing relationships with 15 different schools. Chris began his career in 1999 with the Longhorn Sports Network at the University of Texas. Since then, he has served as General Manager for IMG College, now Learfield, at both Western Kentucky University and the University of Washington. With a wealth of experience in collegiate sports management, Chris has consistently demonstrated his expertise in fostering successful partnerships and driving revenue growth.

Over the past 25 years, the industry has evolved with new asset opportunities available for university athletic departments to sell and monetize. The latest significant change came in 2022 with the advent of the name, image, and likeness (NIL) era in NCAA college athletics. Since then, Learfield has been at the forefront of establishing relationships between brands and student-athletes, maximizing the potential earnings for student-athletes and exposure for the brands.

Chris received his undergraduate degree from the University of Alberta and his Masters in Sports Management from the University of Texas at Austin.

Learfield was established in 1972, when co-founders Clyde Lear and Derry Brownfield started a farm radio network heard over six Missouri radio stations. Three years later marked the company’s first foray into sports as the radio rights distributor for the University of Missouri, who is still a partner today. In parallel, Host Communications pioneered the collegiate multimedia business in 1974 with a network radio contract with the University of Kentucky, adding NCAA representation in 1976. In 2007, IMG Worldwide acquired Host Communications and The Collegiate Licensing Company (CLC). Winston-Salem-based ISP was founded by local entrepreneur and Wake Forest alum, Ben Sutton. Starting with his alma mater they continued growing the business with other college and conference relationships.

In 2010, ISP merged into IMG’s fast-growing college division. In 2014, WME acquired IMG (now Endeavor), the same year Learfield acquired SIDEARM Sports, the leading digital platform provide for college athletic programs. In 2015, Learfield acquired a controlling interest in ANC Sports Enterprises bringing digital signage capabilities. In 2016, the branding agency, SME, was added. In 2017, the portfolio expanded further when Learfield acquired Paciolan, the leading provider of ticketing software and solutions in college athletics, and Mogo Interactive, an integrated digital marketing firm. In 2018, Learfield Communications and IMG College merged to form the leader in multimedia rights and related services.

The company has continued to evolve adding esports tournaments, strategic partnerships with venues and sports organizations, and relationships that bring enhanced services to colleges and universities and new opportunities to brands.

ART - Chris Bloomfield

Dr. Janet L. Kavandi serves as Director of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s .&nbsp; In this position, she is responsible for planning, organizing, and directing the activities required in accomplishing the missions assigned to the center.&nbsp; Glenn is engaged in research, technology, and systems development in support of the nation’s space propulsion, space power, space communications, aeronautical propulsion, microgravity sciences, and materials development programs.&nbsp; The Glenn staff consists of more than 3,200 civil service and support contractor employees and has an annual budget of approximately $625 million.&nbsp; Prior to accepting the director’s position, Dr. Kavandi served as Glenn’s Deputy Director. 

Before coming to Glenn, Dr. Kavandi worked at the NASA , Texas, where she served as the Director of Flight Crew Operations. In this role, she was responsible for the Astronaut Corps and aircraft operations at Ellington Field.&nbsp; Dr. Kavandi also served as the Deputy Director of the Health and Human Performance Directorate, where she ­­­­­­­­­was responsible for the NASA flight surgeons and human research investigations on the International Space Station (ISS).&nbsp; &nbsp; 

Dr. Kavandi was selected as a NASA astronaut in December 1994 as a member of the 15th class of U.S. astronauts.&nbsp; During her time in the Astronaut Office, she supported ISS payload integration, capsule communications, robotics, and served as Deputy Chief of the Astronaut Office.&nbsp; She is a veteran of three space flights, serving as a mission specialist on , , and &nbsp; Dr. Kavandi has logged more than 33 days in space, traveling more than 13.1 million miles in 535 Earth orbits. &nbsp; 

Born in Springfield, Missouri, she earned a bachelor of science degree in chemistry from Missouri Southern State University in Joplin, a master of science in chemistry from the Missouri University of Science and Technology in Rolla, and her doctorate in analytical chemistry from the University of Washington in Seattle.

 &nbsp; Dr. Kavandi has been recognized with a Presidential Rank Award, two NASA Outstanding Leadership Medals, two Exceptional Service Medals and three NASA Space Flight Medals. 

&nbsp; Dr. Kavandi and her husband, John, have two adult children. &nbsp;

Find out more here: https://www.akronroundtable.org/speakers/dr-janet-l-kavandi/5952

Dr. Janet Kavandi, NASA Glenn Research Center: Innovative Technology for the Benefit of All

This episode is part of our "Most Memorable" collection. Recommended by Akron Roundtable board member, Beth Boggins, who said:

"In 2016, Akron Roundtable hit it out of the park for its 40th-anniversary gala when it welcomed homegrown rock star Patrick Carney and fellow Akron native, author David Giffels. Together, the two dished on the legacy of being from Akron, their first meeting, the Black Keys' slow grind to the top, thoughts on the Swenson’s versus Skyway controversy, even Carney's beef with Justin Bieber.  Throughout the talk, the pair elicited laughs and applause from a crowd of more than 500. This is a podcast memory not to be missed."

*Don't miss the special introduction with Dave Lieberth sharing a bit of Akron Roundtable history.*

Patrick Carney is an Akron native and musician, best known as the drummer for The Black Keys.

David Giffels is an award winning author and associate professor of English at University of Akron.

Find full speaker bios and event details here: https://www.akronroundtable.org/speakers/patrick-carney-david-giffels/3689

Patrick Carney, The Black Keys & David Giffels, Author: 40th Anniversary Celebration

This episode from June 3, 2015 is part of our "Most Memorable" collection. Recommended by Akron Roundtable board member, David Hunter: 

"Former Deputy Director and Acting Director of the CIA. A Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio native and a University of Akron graduate, Morrell delivered his remarks in a changed-up Akron Roundtable format, a moderated conversation. While he covered a broad array of topics during the interview, including his responsibility to provide the President with a daily briefing of international affairs, Morrell had the audience riveted when he described in great detail what it was like to spend the entire day of September 11th, 2001 with President George W. Bush – traveling with the Commander-In-Chief to Florida; being present as the President spent time with and addressed a kindergarten class; witnessing the President receive the news of the attack on our own soil; and participating in the events of planning and strategy that ensued thereafter. No one who attended that luncheon will ever forget that conversation." 

Cuyahoga Falls native, Michael Morell's much awarded career at CIA spanned 33 years including over three years as Deputy Director two terms as Acting Director. He has been at the center of our nation’s fight against terrorism and authored the book “The Great War of Our Time: An Insider’s Account of the CIA vs al Qa`ida.”

Find full speaker bio, and the event details here: https://bit.ly/2YNwSBC

Michael Morell, Former Director, CIA: Today's National Security Threats

Presentation: 
The global pandemic has taken its toll on our community in countless ways, especially in terms of our mental health. Dr. Brian Harte, President, Cleveland Clinic Akron General will moderate a conversation with Drs. Menefee and Moore, discussing the stressing effects of COVID-19 and what we can do to cope. We are excited to test the Zoom Breakout Room feature with a limited number of participants, randomly selected for a post-event 20-minute discussion session. 

Post-event note from Dr. Menefee: In her comments, Dr. Menefee shared a resource for how to manage child and family screen time. She says, "Below is the link for the American Academy of Pediatrics Family Media Plan. There are two parts to the plan- I typically direct people to 'Create Your Family Media Plan.”'  

https://www.healthychildren.org/English/media/Pages/default.aspx 

Dr. Elizabeth Menefee is the Chief Medical Officer at Child Guidance and Family Solutions in Akron, Ohio. She is also appointed as an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at NEOMED working in clinical teaching roles and also teaching in the medical humanities curriculum. 

Dr. Jeffrey Moore serves as Vice President/Medical Director for Portage Path Behavioral Health, one of two large community mental health centers in Summit County. 

Find full speaker bio and event video here: https://bit.ly/2LoqjRS

Dr. Elizabeth Menefee, CGFS/ Dr. Jeffrey Moore, PPBM : Mental Health & COVID-19

The Akron Roundtable podcast brings you monthly installments of nationally recognizable figures and local leaders sharing their thought-provoking perspectives on topics that engage, educate, and inspire listeners. These episodes are recorded in full at the Akron Roundtable luncheons and include the audience Q&A session with each guest. To learn more about Akron Roundtable or to attend a luncheon please visit our webpage.

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