The Downtown Akron Partnership has selected an experienced downtown events coordinator as its President and CEO, 
effective April 1.
Suzanne H. Graham, 37, has been a City of Akron employee since 1993, and served most recently as the Mayor’s Coordinator of Arts & Children’s Programs. She has directed the highly successful Lock 3 Summer Arts Experience since 2003, and has coordinated Downtown Art Walks each month since 2007.
“Suzie brings to the position a wealth of familiarity with Downtown’s assets and its challenges, ” said Gary Rickel, Chairman of the Downtown Akron Partnership (DAP). “She has already worked to elevate the image of Downtown and is prepared to lead DAP in our next round of successful initiatives.”
Graham succeeds Kimberlee McKee, president of DAP for five years, who in January, accepted a similar position in Colorado.
“I’ve enjoyed working with the Partnership on many of the projects we have shared,” said Graham. “The staff is outstanding, and I appreciate the support of an involved and dedicated board of directors.”
DAP is funded through the Downtown Special Improvement District, which is a private, nonprofit organization through which downtown property owners assess themselves to provide funding for a variety of initiatives including programs for downtown marketing and promotion, business resources, beautification, the safety ambassador program, and advocacy. DAP sponsors the annual First Night activities on New Year’s Eve.
Graham helped create the Lock 3 Summer Arts Experience in 2003, and each summer has directed up to 80 high school “arts apprentices” in their work with a half-dozen professional artists to create public works of art - 16 of which have been installed downtown. More than 500 student artists have graduated the program. The Northside Art Walks have benefitted from her collaboration with more than 20 artists that attract some 2,000 visitors each year on first Saturdays each month.
Graham has coordinated the children’s bike giveaway and the ride with LeBron James at the NBA star’s Akron Bikeathon each summer. She has coordinated diverse arts and children’s programs including the winter programs at Lock 3, the city’s annual Holocaust arts & writing project, and the Akron Marathon’s Kids Fun Run. For ten years, Graham worked in the City’s Recreation Bureau, starting as a part-time summer lifeguard and becoming a supervisor of several city recreation centers.
“I’ve had the opportunity to be part of an ongoing conversation each week over the last nine years about the unique issues which Downtown presents,” said Graham. Since 2003, she has served as a member of the Mayor’s Downtown Operations Group, a regular meeting of 15 city department leaders that addresses safety, service, and economic development issues in Downtown.
Rickel says the two-month long search for a new president attracted interest from 37 applicants including 6 from out of state. A committee of the DAP board interviewed 13 of the applicants before narrowing its search to five finalists.
“We were fortunate to have so many local people who were qualified to be considered for this position,” said Rickel. “Suzie Graham had the balance of skills and experience that we hoped to find in a new president and her knowledge of Downtown was a definite plus.”
The mission of the Downtown Akron Partnership is to promote and build a vibrant and valuable Downtown. Since its inception in 1995, the organization has been a catalyst for enhancing the Downtown environment, with innovative programs designed to create interest in and to attract people to Downtown Akron.
Contact: Gary Rickel, Chairman, Downtown Akron Partnership, 330.374.6342
