As we continue building Trailhead from the ground up, I am encouraged by the momentum, generosity, and shared purpose that surround this work. Each month brings new opportunities to listen, learn, and lay the foundation for a healthier future across our region. Trailhead volunteers and staff are making meaningful progress in operationalizing the foundation, beginning with our governance structure.
Our board committees are now active, and we are rotating committee meetings throughout the region to stay connected to the communities we serve. The Grantmaking Committee has met in Akron, Medina, and Wooster; the Finance Committee has met in Akron and Canton; and the Strategic Planning Committee has met in Akron and will meet in Ravenna next week. Their planning work is nearing an important milestone.
The Strategic Planning Committee is approximately one month away from completing an actionable plan designed to improve health outcomes for defined communities and strengthen trust and engagement between the foundation and the people it serves. We are grateful that the plan has been shaped by feedback from stakeholders across the region, and we deeply appreciate everyone who completed a survey, participated in a focus group, or shared insights through a one-on-one interview.
To continue broadening that community input, Trailhead staff are attending events across the region and raising awareness about the foundation and survey opportunity. In late July, Janet Hardie, Trailhead Senior Donor Relations Specialist, and Jenny Rodriguez, Executive Office Administrator, visited the Soprema Senior Center and Cafe in Wadsworth, where several dozen seniors gathered to celebrate July birthdays.
During the celebration, Janet and Jenny assisted 90 individuals in completing the strategic planning survey. Their participation is especially meaningful because we want many voices, including those of older adults, represented in our planning process. If you have not yet completed the survey, please do so by clicking this link: Health and Wellness in the Greater Akron Region Survey. The survey is also available in multiple languages.
As our planning advances, our staff continues to grow with individuals whose specialized expertise strengthens Trailhead’s foundation business model. In July, we welcomed two new team members to support our finance and grantmaking functions. We are pleased to have Anthony Nyende join us as Trailhead’s new Grants Manager. Anthony brings nine years of progressive experience in grants and contracts management for USAID-, CDC-, Global Fund-, and Mastercard Foundation-funded programs. He has managed more than $150 million in donor portfolios, achieved 100% compliance across pre- and post-award cycles, and eliminated audit findings through strong internal controls. He is a certified public accountant and is currently pursuing a Master of Business Administration degree.
We are also delighted to welcome Stephanie Slovasky as Trailhead’s Controller. Stephanie began her career in 2013 as an audit intern at Ciuni & Panichi, Inc., a public accounting firm in Cleveland. After completing her undergraduate and graduate degrees, she returned to the firm in 2015 as a staff auditor and advanced through progressively responsible roles, most recently serving as an audit senior manager. During her time at Ciuni & Panichi, she developed extensive expertise in accounting principles and financial reporting requirements unique to the nonprofit sector.
Stephanie earned a Master of Professional Practice in Accounting from Ohio Northern University. She is a licensed Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE), a graduate of the Cleveland Bridge Builders Class of 2025, and a graduate of the OnBoard Cleveland Class of 2023.
We are also putting essential human resource supports in place for our team. As a small business, Trailhead is taking advantage of healthcare benefit packages offered through the Greater Akron Chamber. This week, the Trailhead team met with Alice Rhodes, an Associated Underwriters Insurance (AUI) representative, to learn more about benefit options and costs for the upcoming open enrollment year.
Our new physical home is taking shape as well. We continue to make progress on our office renovation and appreciate our vendor partners—Metis Construction, HSB, The Jones Group, and PCR—for working together to ensure the space is ready in time for our first anniversary on October 1st.
We also continue to welcome amateur photographers to submit photos of trails throughout Medina, Portage, Stark, Summit, and Wayne counties to media@trailheadhealthfoundation.org by August 14. We look forward to selecting photos that will help bring the beauty and spirit of our region into our downtown Akron office.
Thank you for walking this path with us. Your interest, encouragement, and partnership are helping Trailhead move from vision to action, and I am confident that, together, we are building something that will serve our communities with purpose, humility, and hope for years to come.
Tracy L. Carter, President and CEO