Board + Staff
LEADERSHIP TEAM

Zac Kohl
Executive DirectorZac 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 DirectorJen 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 DirectorDave 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 DirectorChris 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 ManagerIn 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 ManagerReuben 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 ManagerJoyce 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
AJ Fink
Construction CrewAJ 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 ManagerKyle 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 CoordinatorErica 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 ManagerAfter 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 CoordinatorCOMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Alexandra Thomas
Community Engagement ManagerBorn 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 WorkerOlivia 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 CoordinatorAfter 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
CustodianGwen 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