When Cheryl Stephens became President and CEO of East Akron Neighborhood Development Corporation in 2018, she promptly announced her intention to become a “best friend” to Jason Segedy and Helen Tomic, in the City of Akron’s planning and development office. In other words, Stephens said, “let’s get to work and accomplish as much as we possibly can for this community.”
Segedy is Akron’s planning and urban development director, and Tomic is the long-range planning manager. Their department has always relied on EANDC as a solid investment partner, a relationship that has only strengthened recently. Stephens, who has held similar roles at the county and city level, understands the complexities of public financing and city government, made even more complicated when it comes to affordable housing.
Says Tomic, “I know we can rely on EANDC to get things done. As a city, we used to do quite a bit on our own, but we recognized that some of this work couldn’t be accomplished unless we had partners. EANDC is an amazing partner. Chery and her team are so easy to work with. She understands where we’re coming from and will always find a way to make things work.”
The success of any multi-million-dollar planning and development initiative is directly tied to the strength of its leadership and community partners. With this in mind, EANDC and Akron are both champions in working to fill the affordable housing gap in Summit County.
“They are willing to go the extra mile,” Stephens says of Tomic and Segedy. “When I had a tentative verbal agreement with the Lebron James Family Foundation to be their housing development provider, I needed a site within one mile of the I PROMISE school. Jason got in my Jeep and drove around the city to help me find one. Then when the project’s initial funding requirements were too restrictive, Helen helped us find a more liberal funding source that worked better for us.”
Both partners have expressed interest in creating housing units within the city for young mothers with fragile incomes, recognizing that stable housing is a crucial indicator of health and safety in the year leading up to a child’s first birthday.
“I know we can take on projects like this,” said Cheryl about the potential development, “because they care about this work, and Jason empowers Helen to be creative and helpful in getting things done. Sometimes a good project never moves forward because teams don’t think outside the box. So, we deeply value how Helen, Jason, and Mayor Horrigan help us overcome barriers and make dreams come true for Akron families.”