Spring 2021
Board of Directors Josh Gordon, Chair Jason Slater, Vice Chair Jennifer Bidlingmyer, Treasurer Lynne Holcomb, Secretary Jim Bauschlinger Moriah Cheatham-Williams Paul Epner Brett Haverlick Trevor Hunt Mayor William Judge Denny Liddle Elizabeth Mayreis Craig Megyes Jeff Ramnytz Deb Shreiner Staff Suzanne Allen, Ph.D., Executive Director Brett Fogle, CPA, MT, Director of Finance Carrie Herman, Director of Community Impact Kate DeAngelis, Director of Marketing Kim Miller, Office Manager
Thank you to Tom Harnden and Kathy Maybin for their contributions to this article.
The Foundation began with the sale of Barberton Citizens Hospital (now Summa Health - Barberton Campus) and the promise to build the a new Barberton High School. The Foundation makes the last payment on the High School this year.
The Beginnings of the Foundation In 2021, Barberton Community Foundation celebrates our 25th anniversary. As the Foundation considers what lies ahead, we want to recognize the vision of those individuals from our beginnings and share the story of how the Foundation was started.
Their passion for the cause propelled the issue forward and secured the vote in favor of Issue 5. Former Mayor Randy Hart filed paperwork with the State of Ohio to create the new foundation, and the citizens had to vote to approve the arrangement.
Many people know that the Foundation was created in 1996 with proceeds from the sale of Barberton Citizens Hospital. But the details of the residents who coordinated the push to create the Foundation, how Barberton voters learned they had a stake in the sale of the hospital and the impact of that decision, is lesser known.
The first board members selected to form the Foundation were members of the campaign group: Ken Cox, Jack Deuber, Tom Doak , Tom Harnden, Randy Hart, Dan Knorr, Kathy Maybin, Milan Pavkov, Jerry Pecko, Dennis Prough, Leon Ricks, Walt Ritzman, Esther Sarb, Helen Scott and Richard Wakefield. We recognize and thank the campaign leaders, original board members and their families for their leadership and dedication.
We go back to 1995, when the Board of Trustees of Barberton Citizens Hospital grew concerned about the hospital’s ability to compete over The Foundation spoke with Tom Harnden and time with other hospitals in the area. Mergers Kathy Maybin, both members of the original were on the rise, and the hospital voted to Board. Tom and Kathy remember 1996 and accept a bid from Quorum the campaign to get the vote “Everyone was Health Group. for the foundation as a time of unparalleled cooperation. respectful of the Before the hospital could “It was really a wonderful obligation and the be sold however, a major experience in which we all issue had to be resolved. duty we had to do the came together with one The City and the hospital vision,” said Kathy. “Everyone very best possible for was respectful of the had a past agreement: if the hospital were ever sold, obligation and the duty we had the community.” then all assets of the hospital to do the very best possible for -Kathy Maybin, Past Board Member were to revert to the City. the community.” The City, the hospital and a group of citizens decided it would be better Tom was a first-year member of the hospital to try to have the funds invested into a new board. “The timing was just perfect. Jerry Pecko foundation. There was a very active campaign was the Superintendent of the schools at the to educate and convince community members time, and he knew what this sale would mean that creation of a foundation was in the best for Barberton. It became our focus to build a interest of Barberton. The campaign was called new school.” Milan Pavkov, a former “Citizens for Barberton’s Future” and was Continued on Page 5 headed by Lisa Okolish Miller and Gary Matney.