Board + Staff

LEADERSHIP TEAM

Zac Kohl

Executive Director

Zac Kohl

Executive Director

Zac and his wife Beth are residents of the Middlebury community, where they bought and rehabbed a Middlebury home for their three sons. In 2016, Zac founded The Well CDC and decided to repurpose a hundred-year-old Middlebury church building to house the organization. With primary focuses of restoring housing, creating economy, and supporting place, The Well CDC has invested over $16.1million into a historically disinvested community, and currently owns over 80,000 square feet of commercial real estate, 104 residential units, and provides a wide array of programming that supports our community.

Jen Meade

Fund Development Director

Jen Meade

Fund Development Director

Jen is a Middlebury resident and has called Akron home for the last 11 years. She graduated from The University of Akron with a BA in Education and stayed in Akron because of her love for the city and its people. She started on the team 5+ years ago running our Akron Hope program as a part time employee, grew to be the manager, and was promoted in November 2022 to be our Fund Development Director. She has 9+ years of experience working in the non-profit sector and loves the work she gets to do everyday.

Dave Maynard

Senior Finance and Operations Director

Dave Maynard

Senior Finance and Operations Director

Dave has been part of the Well CDC since its inception back in 2016, working alongside Zac and his team as financial advisor and a board member. After a successful career working in various senior executive leadership roles in Building Materials and Industrial markets, Dave felt a calling to join The Well CDC in a full-time capacity to lead the finance area. He is passionate about helping people, teams and organizations reach their full potential. Dave has been married to his wife, Linda, for 34 years. Outside of work he enjoys spending time with their young adult daughter, Hannah, exploring the outdoors, exercising, and serving with Linda in the young adult ministry at The Chapel Akron.

Chris Boswell

Program Director

Chris Boswell

Program Director

Chris and his wife Imaris have been active participants in the Middlebury neighborhood since joining Citizens Akron Church in 2021 with their two sons. They now have three sons and have taken their commitment to Middlebury to the next level after buying a Well CDC home in 2023. Chris has spent the better part of the last decade in sales with a focus on leadership development, learning and development, and team management. When he isn’t spending time with his family, Chris is either preparing music for Sunday’s worship or hanging out with kids at The Vincent House.

HOUSING

Joe Vassel

Acquisition/Rehab Manager

Joe Vassel

Acquisition/Rehab Manager

In the first year of The Well CDC’s inception I was able to connect with Reuben to install a hardwood floor in one of the properties. I was shocked that he showed up on a Saturday to help, and even more surprised by how well he did working on the project. This attitude has been demonstrated by all The Well CDC team members, day in and day out. Already being a Middlebury resident and appreciative of The Well CDC’s cause, joining the organization felt like hitting the lottery. I hope my love of power tools and passion for craftsmanship will encourage my neighbors to get building…together!

Reuben Auck

Housing Manager

Reuben Auck

Housing Manager

Reuben Auck is a Middlebury resident and a member of the Restoring Housing team for The Well CDC. He received his degree in Construction Engineering Technology from the University of Akron in 2012. Prior to joining The Well CDC staff, he worked for Greater Cleveland Habitat for Humanity as a Construction Site Supervisor and served as a Board Member for The Well CDC. He joined staff in 2017 and has been involved in the purchase and renovation of 70+ units in Middlebury.

Joyce Fox

Property Manager

Joyce Fox

Property Manager

Joyce is a property manager who helps develop families to mature tenancy and home ownership. She graduated from Kent State University with a degree in Rhetoric and Communication and is a lifelong learner having participated in numerous trainings and received recognition in entrepreneurship, culture of poverty, mindset, and classroom leadership. The 25 years of experience within education and housing has taught her to approach property management with a social work mindset to restore value and dignity to the families we serve. When she is not working with families, find her coaching health-minded individuals, line dancing, and creating art through photography. 

Bronson Luksza

Project Manager

Bronson Luksza

Project Manager
Bronson graduated from Kent State with a degree in Construction Management. Through college he also worked for a wide range of construction businesses from management and consulting to laying tile, and felt called to use his skills for something more meaningful, leading him to The Well. Bronson loves singing loudly with his best coworker friend, AJ, and locking himself out of his truck every so often.

AJ Fink

Construction Crew

AJ Fink

Construction Crew

AJ has a passion for ministry in the city context, and loves to work with his hands, using the gifts God has given him to serve others. He also mentors high schoolers in the neighborhood through Akron Youth Mentorship and volunteers with The Vincent House’s after school program. 

SOCIAL ENTERPRISE

Kyle Koerner

Social Enterprise Manager

Kyle Koerner

Social Enterprise Manager

Kyle has lived in Akron for almost fifteen years, after growing up in Green. He began his career in food service at 16 and fell in love with the industry. Now, with over a decade of experience in corporate restaurant leadership, Kyle is excited to be able to support and invest in food entrepreneurs through Akron Food Works.

 

Erica Banks

Akron Food Works Coordinator

Erica Banks

Akron Food Works Coordinator

Erica is a true Akronite. She graduated from Firestone High School, went on to Central State University to obtain a degree in Sociology, and then returned home to pursue a career in social services for 7 years. It was then she wanted to open her own Restaurant and Lounge in Akron. With almost 4 years of food entrepreneurship under her and understanding the complications yet rewards of starting a business, she found herself helping food entrepreneurs start and grow their business at The Well CDC.

CAREER DEVELOPMENT

Marta Roueiheb

Career Development Manager

Marta Roueiheb

Career Development Manager

After studying psychology at Kent State University, Marta had a series of opportunities to support creative new endeavors across the country. She worked for start-ups in San Francisco, led teams on commercial rebranding projects in Idaho, and built a sustainable business line for a National Park. Whatever the enterprise, Marta believes that a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion must be central to her work. Now back home in Akron, she has found The Well CDC to be the perfect place for her commitment to equity and passion for program development to come together. As Workforce Manager and leader of the Middlebury Workforce Coalition, Marta is humbled by the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of our community, its challenges, and most importantly, its resources.

Jada Ziegler

Career Development Coordinator

Jada Ziegler

Career Development Coordinator
Jada is passionate about empowering women to achieve their career goals and improve their mental health, helping her facilitate Career Development classes designed to help women do just that. Her dedication to this mission comes from her experiences as a mother of three and a Dean’s List college student. Previously, Jada served as a tutor for Akron Public Schools, where she discovered a passion for supporting others in their educational and professional journeys. Driven by the desire to support mothers facing similar challenges to her own, she transitioned to The Well CDC to help others overcome obstacles. She believes in the life-changing power of community and education, and is committed to providing the tools that empower women to build bright futures for themselves and their families.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Alexandra Thomas

Community Engagement Manager

Alexandra Thomas

Community Engagement Manager

Born and raised in Akron Ohio, Alex is an experienced nonprofit professional with 20+ years of serving families and youth. She takes pride in being passionate about those who are underserved and under-represented, and leaving others feeling empowered, resilient, and hopeful for their future. In her not so spare time, Alex enjoys being active in her church, The House of the Lord, as the Director of Youth Ministry, serving on non-profit boards, mentoring, spending time with my family, and completing her Master of Divinity degree. She’s proud to bring her knowledge and heart to join the work of “people first and people last” as the Community Engagement Manager.

Olivia Brown

Community Health Worker

Olivia Brown

Community Health Worker

Olivia is The Well CDC’s first Community Health Worker, passionate about wrapping her arms around tenants, students, and families in need by connecting them to community resources and support. Olivia has worked with high school students in case management, elementary school students, and pregnant moms in the Infant Vitality Department, allowing her to journey with individuals, identify gaps, and locate support areas for them. She is also a creative, not only in creating solutions for people in need, but also in content creation, illustration, interior design, spoken word, and the vocal arts. Olivia is excited to join a community that allows her creative side to thrive through helping others.

ADMINISTRATION

Anna Muntin

Marketing Coordinator

Anna Muntin

Marketing Coordinator

After graduating from The Univeristy of Akron in 2021 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing, Anna decided to combine her love of coffee with her desire to invest in her community at The Well CDC as a Compass barista. Five months later, she came on full-time as the part-time Finance Coordinator and part-time Lead Barista. Now she assists in managing The Well’s social media, communications, and special usage as the Marketing Coordinator, but every once in a while you can still find her down in the cafe, practicing her latte art.

Gwen Adams

Custodian

 

 

Gwen Adams

Custodian

Gwen Adams is a Middlebury resident who has lived in Akron for the last forty four years. She is an integral part of the team at The Well CDC as she maintains the building and grounds in a clean and safe manner for all who visit.

In her spare time, Gwen is a professional cook specializing in southern cooking. She is a proud mother of two sons who she brags about constantly. Gwen states her favorite thing about working at The Well CDC is the people who she works with side by side.

BARISTAS

Haleijah Varner
647 Coffee Coordinator

Thin Yadanr 

Hannah Eyre

Lexi Muntin
Lead Barista

Hallee Kass

Snow Htoo

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Tracy Carter (Chairperson)
System Director, Government Relations, Summa Health

David Griffing (Vice Chairperson)
Executive Vice President, Government Affairs, Energy Harbor

Ann Durr
Market President, Portage Community Bank
Past President & COO, Valley Savings Bank

Allan Hill 
Engineering Supervisor, Swagelok Company

Craig Melnick
Global Risk Management, Goodyear Tire and
Rubber Company

Dameon Jackson
Residential Manager, Focus2focus Independent Living

Kirsten Lino Simmonds
Regional Banking Sales Enablement Director Huntington

James Talbert
Pastor, Citizens Akron Church

John Reyes
Attorney, Buckingham, Doolittle, and Burroughs

Nate Ollish
Certified Financial Planner, Impel Wealth Management

Renee Kochis
Principal at Mason CLC, Akron Public Schools

Sue Lacy
Round River Consulting

The Well CDC invests in people
through the built environment.

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Contact Us

   office@thewellakron.com

   (330) 815-1062

  647 E. Market St. Akron, OH 44304