Suzie Graham became the president of the Downtown Akron Partnership in April 2011. She oversees all aspects of the operations of DAP to promote, build and maintain a clean, safe and vibrant Downtown. Suzie's career spans over eighteen years of service to the community including planning and oversight of programs and events for the City of Akron. Most recently, she served the City of Akron as the Coordinator of Arts and Children’s Programs for the Office of the Mayor. Suzie celebrates her love for the community through volunteer projects and service to local non-profit organizations. She has served on the Executive Board of the Akron Area Arts Alliance and currently serves as the Secretary of the Board of Trustees for the Akron Civic Theatre.

Kimberly Beckett works closely with Downtown stakeholders through business and property owner retention surveys and one-on-one interviews. She assists businesses in troubleshooting problems with local government as well as supporting economic development activities. Additionally, she contributes to all marketing and promotion events throughout the year.  Kimberly received her Bachelors Degree from University of Wisconsin-Madison and completed her Masters in Public Administration at the University of Akron.

Linda Fry has been involved in event planning and implementation for more than 20 years at The University of Akron, The National Inventors Hall of Fame and Downtown Akron Partnership. She also taught government and journalism courses at the university and was a DAP volunteer for many years prior to joining the staff in 2005. Linda maintains the property records of the Special Improvement District, writes grants and surveys and serves as liaison with the DAP's safety program, including coordinating Block Watch meetings and preparing safety literature and e-mail safety and traffic alerts. If you're not fortunate enough to be on this coveted list, e-mail Linda.  

Rich   Hoselton, Director of Events  
rhoselton@downtownakron.com  

Rich has been working in the non-profit sector for over 30 years and has created several successful events, including; the United Way’s Amazing Race, the American Cancer Society Bids & Bites, The North Coast Men’s Chorus Hearts on Fire and more. He has also served on the steering committee for Hudson-Stow Relay for Life, sat on the Board of Directors for the North Coast Men’s Chorus as Development Chair, and served on the executive board of the Community AIDS Network. Rich graduated from Malone University with a Bachelor of Arts in management and computer science and also received his MBA from Malone University. Rich joined Downtown Akron Partnership in the summer of 2011 after working in the business world for over 30 years as a systems analysts, financial analyst, and workforce manager.  He is looking forward to bringing some of his zany and crazy event ideas to fruition.

Holly Mattucci has been the Business Manager at Downtown Akron Partnership for ten years. She has over 25 years of experience in financial management, bookkeeping, office management and internal auditing. She is a member of the National Bookkeepers Association.

Clean & Safe Team

Wayne Weese became the Operations Manager of the Clean and Safe Team at Downtown Akron Partnership in 2009. He is responsible for day to day operations, recruiting, training and ensuring DAP's ambassadors are providing the best service possible.

He is a United States Air Force veteran and he also has over 20 years in operations management , including major retailers in markets such as Boston, Miami, Las Vegas and Los Angeles.

Clean Team

Darrell Stamps
Mark Gibbs
Val Kramer
Amy Stoneberger

Safe Team