Board Members

Dave is an alumni of both Leadership Akron and Torchbearers, and he is a 2009 graduate of the University of Akron School of Law. He currently practices with The Becker Law Firm, where he primarily focuses on the area of medical malpractice. He grew up in a Christian household, and he has strong connections with several local churches and pastors. He is currently a member of Grace Church in Bath, and he has also had previous involvement with Habitat. Additionally, Dave has volunteered with Akron Children’s Hospital and the Akron Zoo, and he is still a coach for the University of Akron law school’s nationally recognized mock trial team. Dave has a passion for people, and is always willing to help those in need. As a member of the Board, he will use both his legal knowledge and community ties to further the interests of Habitat.

Michelle L. Molinet is chief financial officer for J.W. Didado Electric, LLC.  In her role as CFO, Michelle serves as a strategic partner to the president and helps shape overall financial strategy and direction. She is responsible for all financial and accounting functions within the company and works directly with executive leadership to support operations.

Prior to joining J.W. Didado in 2015, Michelle held a senior financial position for a privately held company and was a Sr. Manager in the Audit and Assurance Division at a regional public accounting firm where she specialized in Construction Accounting.

Michelle is a graduate of Malone University and a Certified Public Accountant. She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Ohio Society of CPA’s

Prior to joining True in 2021, Michelle spent over 20 years in public accounting and held the position of Senior Manager of Assurance Services specializing in services to nonprofits, as well as small and closely-held businesses, and family businesses. She served as our outside auditor for nearly 10 years in that role and joined the board after leaving public accounting for private industry.

Michelle brings a strong understanding of our financials and a commitment to Habitat’s mission of providing affordable housing to underserved populations. In addition to her technical abilities in accounting and finance, she is dedicated to being present and engaged and has an overall passion to serve others and make a difference in their lives.

Michelle is a graduate of the University of Akron, a Leadership Akron alumni, Certified Public Accountant (inactive), and has served on various boards and commitees for Greenleaf Family Center, United Way of Summit County, Humane Society of Summit County, and as Past President and Secretary of her condo association board.

Marie has close to 20 years of experience performing assurance services to closely held businesses. She helps private companies of all sizes work through a variety of technical issues and provides consulting services to assist clients with special projects. Although she works with clients in a number of industries, an additional focus area for Marie lies in working with not-for-profit organizations. Her significant background gives her the necessary credentials and knowledge to perform audits in accordance with the Uniform Guidance.

Marie lives in Akron, Ohio, with her husband and their three children. When she is not cheering on her kids at swim meets, baseball games, or soccer matches, she volunteers her time on a local, state, and national level. She is an avid volunteer in the Akron community, currently serving on the Boards of Habitat for Humanity of Summit County, Victim Assistance Program, and Firestone Akron Swim Team. In addition, she volunteers for committees for the Ohio Society of CPAs (Women’s Initiatives Committee) and the American Institute of CPAs (Technical Issues Committee).

EMERITUS – David joined Western Reserve Trust Company in 2024 after nearly 27 years in private law practice where he focused primarily on estate planning, wealth transfer and succession planning, probate and trust administration, inheritance controversy litigation, and real estate law. As the Relationship Manager and Director of Business Development for WRTC, David focuses his attention on providing concierge level service to clients and collaborating closely with clients’ other professional advisors to make sure the needs and goals of the clients are constantly being addressed. David works closely with professional advisors throughout the state and prides himself on working collaboratively to find the best solutions for the clients. Prior to joining WRTC, David worked with Roetzel & Andress, LPA in their Cleveland and Akron offices and, over the course of his career, has served in multiple leadership positions within his law firms. Over the years, David has been a frequent presenter and author on a wide array of estate planning and real estate related topics. David and his wife, Christine, live in Bath, Ohio and have three daughters. In his free time, David enjoys coaching volleyball, playing golf, running obstacle course races, and supporting the professional Cleveland sports teams.

I have more than 15 years of experience delivering comprehensive investment, planning, and financial solutions to clients. I hold a Bachelor’s degree from Miami University.

In addition to my role at Huntington, I serve on the Peninsula Library Foundation Board. I am involved in the Emerging Professionals Akron network, Pelotonia, Akron/Canton Food Bank and United Way. In my free time, I enjoy traveling and volunteering.

EMERITUS

Patrick Miller retired from Reliance Standard Life Insurance Company, a member of The Tokio Marine Group.

He worked for Standard Insurance Company for two decades where he held various roles of increasingly responsible sales & management positions in both home office and the field environments. Prior to joining Reliance Standard, Mr. Miller was President of Client First Group of Ohio which provided employee benefit consulting for clients which employed 1,000 plus employees. Mr. Miller holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics from University of Oregon.

Lynda has focused her extensive banking career between the Cleveland and Akron markets,  specializing in commercial banking. Born and raised in CLE, Lynda’s areas of banking expertise  and leadership have expanded from her early start in the retail branch network for National City  Bank, where she was a retail district manager for 16 NEO branches. Transitioning into the  commercial banking space in 1998, Lynda has focused her efforts cultivating a deep knowledge  of how companies operate and matching their borrowing, depository and security needs with  solid banking solutions, guidance and expertise.  

In the early 2000’s Lynda was a successful commercial banker for First Merit Bank in the greater  Akron market and most recently a Market Director for Huntington Bank’s Regional Banking  Team Akron-Canton. Lynda has now joined Fifth Third Bank as a Senior Commercial  Relationship Manager, Akron-Canton market. Leaning on her multi-faceted approach to  connecting commercial clients with extensive bank resources and solid knowledge of complex  banking solutions, she is anxious to harness the power of Ohio’s largest headquartered bank.  

Fifth Third is committed to the communities they serve and are very supportive of Lynda’s  extensive board service and community endeavors: Habitat for Humanity Summit County,  Humane Society Summit County and the Salvation Army Summit County. Lynda is an avid  community volunteer, and you’ll frequently find her supporting her favorite causes in addition to  her board service: Aging in place, domestic violence support and prevention, food insecurity,  homelessness and Animal rescue. Her daughter, Victoria, is in her last year of studies at  Cleveland State’s School of Law, after graduating from The Ohio State University. Lynda holds  a BA in Finance & Accounting as well as a master’s in business administration, both from  Baldwin Wallace University.  

Lynda.Nowak@53.com 

@Linkedin.com/Lynda-Nowak

Chapman began her career with Akron Public Schools in 1995. Recently appointed as the district’s Chief Diversity Officer, she works to promote equity and inclusion across the district, staff and community engagement. Her recent work includes a focus on diversity training and coaching for teachers, school leaders, families and other professionals. An Akron native, Chapman has dedicated her career to advocating for urban families and children.
Chapman earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from The Ohio State University in 1985 and a Master of Arts degree from The University of Akron in 1994, both degrees in the study of Family and Consumer Science. She holds a number of certifications including social services coordination, divorce & community mediation, adult experiential learning, diversity and trauma training. She is currently pursuing her doctorate in Interprofessional Leadership with a Cultural Foundations focus.
In her first job with APS, Chapman worked as the Enterprise Community Family Services Liaison for several inner-city schools in low-income neighborhoods. She coordinated student and family support services, including: after-school programs, health services, academic interventions, and case management.
In 1997, Chapman became a Social Services Specialist for the district. She coordinated several local, state and federal grant projects serving students in grades K-12, bringing many organizations together in creative partnerships with APS.
Then, from 2003-2009, she became a Special Projects Coordinator. In this role, Chapman developed a nationally recognized after-school model called Perkins Activities Central. PAC brought community partners together from throughout Summit County to address barriers to academic achievement.
WKYC-TV highlighted the program as a best practice in its 2006 documentary, “Making the Grade: Helping our Kids Achieve.”
In her current position, Chapman serves on several community boards and advisory councils, including Akron Community Foundation, Alchemy, Inc., Habitat for Humanity and Portage Path Behavioral Health and the Akron Community Foundation.
She is also a Child and Family Leadership Exchange (CFLE), Class II graduate and a Leadership Akron (LA), Class XXV graduate.
In 2003, the YWCA named Chapman a Woman of Achievement for becoming the first female in Akron to be named the head coach of a boy’s basketball team and was awarded the Athlete of the Millennium award by the Akron Beacon Journal.

I started in the financial business with my father and now have 39+ years of experience and knowledge to help my clients at the Seaman/McKinney Wealth Management Group of Wells Fargo Advisors, a third generation of investment planning practice. I feel my current clients know they can count on me when they need information regarding everything from wealth management and asset allocation to retirement strategies. I work to assist them in meeting short- and long-term goals and over the years, I’ve built solid relationships which continue to grow with my business.

For me, investing is not just a single track. I help people look at the 360º picture and approach decisions this way. Clients often run ideas by me as a chance to get a different point of view and they know I will give them my honest opinion. I make sure that I am available to my clients and keep in touch with meetings and checkins. I believe when I can help with questions or issues, I know I’m making a difference in a client’s life. I’m also excited to work with the new  generation of investors. It’s energizing to see them starting out  with careers and families. I want to  assist them as they look to achieving  their financial goals and dreams  through strategic use of tools and  products that can help them now  and serve them in the future. I believe in contributing to my  community through volunteering  and financial support. I am currently  on the board at St. Peter’s Catholic  Church, Habitat for Humanity and  the Louisville YMCA. I am surrounded by my loving wife, Jill and  my family, including 6 grandchildren. 

With over 33 years in the Property & Casualty Insurance industry Bob currently serves as the Assistant Vice President of Casualty Claims at Grange. In this role he spearheads strategic planning, innovation and operational execution of initiatives that support the organization’s mission of providing peace of mind and protection to its customers during life’s unexpected events.

Bob is a graduate of Kent State University holding a Bachelor of Science in Journalism.Additionally, he holds several industry designations including the Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriter. He has previously served on the advisory board for The Rich Center for Autism at Youngstown State University and volunteered time with the Special Olympics, the Catholic Diocese of Youngstown and on Habitat builds.

Monica is the Vice President, Investor Relations & Treasurer of Myers Industries. She began her career at Myers Industries in March of 2010 as the Director of Finance & IT for the Distribution Segment.  In March 2011, she became Director of Investor & Financial Relations, and in December 2012, she was promoted to Director of Investor Relations & Communications. Prior to joining Myers, Monica worked at Barnes Group, Inc., in various financial roles including Controller, Barnes Distribution N.A., and Director of Finance, Logistics and Manufacturing Services. Before that, she held various finance and accounting roles at Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company and OfficeMax.

Monica holds a Bachelor of Science in finance and accounting from The University of Akron and an MBA from Ashland University. She was a member of the Leadership Akron class XXIX and is past President of the Board of Trustees of Habitat for Humanity of Summit County. She currently is an advisory board member of the Women’s Endowment Fund of the Akron Community Foundatio

As Chief of Staff, Impact and Communications, Annie McFadden works closely with the CEO, organizational staff and community leaders to help develop and execute strategies to fulfill the mission and vision of United Way of Summit & Medina. She oversees the areas of policy and advocacy, communications and community impact – which includes 211, housing, financial empowerment, health and education. As Chief of Staff, she works directly with the president and CEO and as a key strategic leader, fosters collaborative and meaningful relationships with community leaders and partners in Summit and Medina counties.

Prior to 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.

Annie started her career in 2004 at the Summit County Board of Elections as a Ballot Layout Manager, playing an integral role in the switch of Summit County’s voting system from punch cards to a Precinct Count Optical Scan System in 2006. 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 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. 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 & Advertising from Saint Mary’s College in Notre Dame, IN. She currently lives in West Akron with her husband, son and labrador retriever.

Eric Green is the Director of Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety at the University of Akron.  He provides leadership and oversight for environmental and occupational compliance, emergency management, fire safety, COVID-19 protocols and assist in planning major events for the university.  Eric has been involved in a leadership role with Neighborhood Network since its inception and has served on the Executive Core Team since it became a program of Habitat for Humanity of Summit County.  He has participated in Neighborhood Reborns, artistic board-ups, multiple park improvement projects and assisted in installing solar powered security lights in University Park and Middlebury neighborhoods.   

Eric has been active with Rotary District 6650 for 20 years as a lead facilitator for the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards conference and previously served as a youth soccer coach in his community.  Eric is an avid bicyclist and supporter of active transportation and served on the iTowpath steering team.  He is also an active gardener and helped establish the Adolph Community Garden in University Park. 

Lashawrida Fellows is the Deputy Director of Human Resources for the City of Akron.

Lashawrida earned her bachelor’s degree from Kent State University and holds a master’s degree in human resource management from Capella University. She is a graduate of Leadership Akron Class 36.

Lashawrida has a rich history of working and volunteering in the community. She currently serves on the boards of the Women’s Endowment Fund and the Black Giving Collective; Past Board member of AAA – Akron Auto Club and is an alumna and past board of director for Torchbearers. Lashawrida has also participated on the review and selection committee for the Greater Akron Chamber, 30 For the Future Awards and is a Coach for the Leadership Akron’s Diversity on Board Program.

Lashawrida is an active member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated and is an Advisor for the Kent State Collegiate Chapter, Epsilon Mu. She has also served on membership services, nominating, scholarship, and internal audit committees. 

Lashawrida is very engaged within her community. She seeks to help connect, develop, and encourage other individuals, specifically, young women to become more involved in their community and understand the importance of giving their time, talent, and treasure.

Kelli J. Saucerman-Howard, DNP, RN, has over 25 years of experience in nursing, nursing leadership and healthcare operations. Dr. Saucerman-Howard joined Cleveland Clinic in 2023 and currently serves as the chief nursing officer (CNO) at Cleveland Clinic Akron General. Prior to joining Cleveland Clinic, Dr. Saucerman-Howard served as vice president of patient care services and CNO for four years at Creighton University Medical Center – Bergan Mercy. Dr. Saucerman-Howard holds a Clinical Assistant Professor position at Creighton University College of Nursing, belongs to many professional nursing associations, and is the current Treasurer of the Friends of the National Institute of Nursing Research.

Jennifer Geyer is Director of Administrative Services for FirstEnergy. Jen leads FirstEnergy’s centralized Facility Operations, Facilities Planning & Projects and Mail & Food Services teams across five states.

Jen joined FirstEnergy in 1996 in the Marketing Information Center and held a series of corporate, back-office and sales roles for FirstEnergy Solutions before being promoted to Manager of Business Analytics in 2008. She was named Manager, Corporate in 2011, with responsibility for equity compensation plans, insider trading compliance, related regulatory filings and governance matters.

In 2015, she was promoted to Assistant Corporate Secretary. In this role, she acted as a liaison for the company’s Board of Directors and handled subsidiary management along with her previous responsibilities.

Jen earned a Bachelor of Science in sales and marketing from The University of Akron and a Master of Business Administration from Malone University.

An active community member, Jen currently serves on the Board of Habitat for Humanity of Summit County and is a member of the Junior Achievement of North Central Ohio Golf Committee. She has also served on the Board of Adventure Place.