Click on a link below to read a 2007 DSMA or EOY winner's biography.
W. Riley Lochridge (EOY)
Nancy T. Bird
Mary F. Brackle
J. D. Brookhart
Steve Brubaker
Michael G. Gaffney
Trevor Koenig
Karen L. Mascolo, MSN, RN
Tom McDowell
Christopher M. Taylor
 Executive of the Year
W. Riley Lochridge
Chairman & CEO ComDoc
ComDoc, with headquarters in Akron, Ohio, is a $100+-million provider of document output devices and services. Its markets include all of Ohio, upstate New York, western Pennsylvania and northern West Virginia. Riley Lochridge, named Chairman and CEO in December 2004, joined ComDoc in 1984 as a Group Vice President. His responsibilities grew in 1986, when he was named Executive Vice President; and grew again in 1989, when he became President and CEO.
Prior to joining ComDoc, the Chicago-area native was employed for twelve years with American Hospital Supply Corporation, performing various sales and general management duties. In 1977, he was named Vice President and General Manager of the Northeast Region and continued in that capacity until joining ComDoc. He is a graduate of Texas Christian University and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration with a Marketing concentration.
Since joining the business, Lochridge has seen ComDoc’s revenue grow 800%, their employee base triple in size, and the stock value increase over 4000%. One of his proudest achievements occurred with the 1985 launching of the Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP). From any measurement perspective -- profitability, customer satisfaction, partner satisfaction and sales growth – it is clear that ComDoc’s dramatic results are tied directly to its ESOP.
An advocate for northeastern Ohio, Lochridge currently is an Executive Committee Member of the Cleveland Chapter of the World President’s Organization (WPO). He willingly shares his experience with ESOPs as a member of the Ohio Employee Ownership Center Advisory Board. He is an active member and Trustee of Heart to Heart Communications, and presented the Keynote Address to over 600 area business leaders at their 2004 Annual Breakfast. An alumnus of the 1986 Leadership Akron class, he currently serves as Vice Chairman on their Board of Trustees and, in 2003, received their Distinguished Alumni Award.
Lochridge resides in Hudson, Ohio, with his wife, Barbara, and children, Riley, Kyle and Whitney.
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 Nancy T. Bird
Lead Sales Manager
R.C.L. Enterprises Inc.
Nancy Bird joined R.C. L. Enterprises in 1997, progressing from New York sales representative, to northeast sales manager, to her current position as lead sales manager by 2004. In 2006, her region -- one of the most competitive in the country -- brought in more than $4 million in sales for the first time in the history of the company. She also represents the company as a speaker at national trade shows, where she makes keynote presentations and conducts workshops.
With a background in religious education, Bird consistently has embraced the challenges of her employer, Resources for Christian Living, applying her keen sense of marketplace, imagination and creativity to gain new business and market share and to form a loyal customer base. Her respect for her sales representatives, strong work ethic and personal commitment to growth represent leadership by example at its best.
The 1997 School Volunteer of the Year of the Cleveland Catholic Diocese, Bird serves on several boards, is active in numerous professional religious and trade organizations and volunteers relentlessly in the community. She currently is an Akron board member for SMEI, serving as vice president of membership.
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 Mary F. Brackle
Director of Marketing
Akron General Medical Center
Mary F. Brackle, director of marketing at Akron General Medical Center, began her career at the hospital in 1993 as a communications specialist. In that capacity, she led the marketing activities for the Health & Wellness Center–West. She now is marketing the hospital's newest facility in Stow, the Health & Wellness Center–North, which is scheduled to open this summer.
Over her 14-year career at the hospital, Brackle has led many other marketing initiatives, many of which earned state and national recognition for Akron General Medical Center. Among other accomplishments, she has continued to develop the hospital's Web site and improved call center integration and reporting. The TV commercials she coordinated for a new branding campaign involved 120 employees, patients, physicians and volunteers. She led the fund-raising effort for the Muffins for Mammograms program, which pays for free mammograms for the uninsured.
A resident of West Akron, Brackle has a bachelor's degree in communications from Ohio University and a master's degree from the University of Akron.
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 J. D. Brookhart
Head Football Coach
University of Akron
J.D. Brookhart, head football coach at the University of Akron, approaches college football like the CEO of a Fortune 500 company. He expects constant productivity and forward progress, and he holds players to the highest level of accountability. The resulting team work paid off in a big way in 2005 when the Zips won the Mid-American Conference and made their first-ever Division I-A bowl appearance at the Motor City Bowl.
The 2004 MAC Coach of the Year, Brookhart has an overall record of 18-18 in three seasons at the university. Prior to coaching, Brookhart had a prosperous six-year stint as an account executive at Xerox Corp. After only three years of selling copiers, he earned the President’s Club Award, an honor given to those who meet a sales quota among the company’s top 15 percent.
At 30, Brookhart's discussions with family and friends led the former collegiate star and wide receiver back to football, starting with a nonpaying coaching assignment with the Denver Broncos in 1995. Two years later he returned to the college ranks as an assistant at the University of Pittsburgh, where he later was promoted to offensive coordinator.
Brookhart and his wife, Jami, have three sons, Joseph, 7; Jamison, 4; and John, 1.
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 Steve Brubaker
Senior Vice President, Corporate Affairs
InfoCision Management Corporation
As senior vice president of corporate affairs for InfoCision Management Corp., Steve Brubaker builds relationships with business leaders, government officials and the public to promote the positive impact of InfoCision and the call center industry.
Under Brubaker’s direction, InfoCision’s department of regulatory compliance leads the assessment of internal controls to ensure compliance with federal and state regulations. Brubaker is responsible for implementing InfoCision’s continued expansion, overseeing the deployment of new call centers. In addition he serves as InfoCision’s media spokesperson.
As a member of the American Teleservices Association (ATA), Direct Marketing Association (DMA), International Customer Service Association (ICSA) and Society of Consumer Affairs Professionals (SOCAP), Brubaker has encouraged industry leaders to promote ethical business practices. He has received the ATA’s Telephone Professional of the Year Award and Call Center Magazine’s Call Center Pioneer Award. In 2006, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from Technology Marketing Corp.
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 Michael G. Gaffney
Vice President of Marketing
United Way of Summit County
Under the leadership of Michael Gaffney, United Way’s physician talent show, Docs Who RockTM, grew from a small, free event in 2004 to a major theatrical production for a crowd of 1,600 at E.J. Thomas Hall in 2006. The show also forged stronger ties between United Way and all sectors of the medical profession and increased contributions.
A past winner of the Akron Jaycees Distinguished Service Award and a Leadership Akron graduate, Gaffney volunteers for Community Support Services, Road Runner Akron Marathon, American Red Cross, First Night® Akron, Junior Achievement, AkronReads and the Shawn Gaffney Foundation. He is a graduate of the University of Akron, where he teaches public relations writing. He performs with the Irish pub band "Fergie and the Bog Dogs."
Gaffney lives in New Franklin with his wife, Corina, an assistant Summit County prosecutor, and their daughters, Elise and Tessa.
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 Trevor Koenig
Student
University of Akron
Trevor Koenig, a senior at the University of Akron, is pursuing a major in marketing management, a second major in sales management and a minor in economics. A native of Botkins, Ohio, he has been active at the university since 2003.
Since March 2004, he has been an active member of Pi Sigma Epsilon (PSE), a professional fraternity for sales, marketing and management majors. Koenig has served the fraternity in numerous positions, including director of corporate relations and two terms as president. He has won numerous awards through PSE at the regional and national level, including the Vector Marketing Pro-Am Sell-A-Thon and the Enterprise Speaker’s Competition.
Koenig is a member of the Dean’s Advisory Council, which he served as president for the 2005-2006 academic year. He is a member of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars, Mu Kappa Tau and Beta Gamma Sigma, the highest honor bestowed upon business students.
Along with his academic involvement, Koenig was instrumental in creating the Frisbee Club at the University of Akron, participates in the Zips Recruiting Club, regularly donates blood to the American Red Cross and competes on the amateur level in wakeboarding water sports. Koenig currently is a marketing intelligence intern at Diebold Inc., where he has worked since 2005.
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 Karen L. Mascolo, MSN, RN
Director of School Health Services
Akron Children's Hospital
Karen Mascolo has been a registered nurse for 20 years. Over her career, she has worked in a remarkable variety of professional positions, ranging from operating room nurse to regional director for a national nurse staffing company.
From 1998 to 2004, she owned and operated a successful staffing company in the Cleveland-Akron area. In 2003 she openedSchool Health Network Inc. to provide nursing services to public and private schools.
In 2004 she sold the staffing business and merged the School Health Network with Akron Children's Hospital's program. Through Mascolo’s marketing efforts, the resulting entity, Akron Children’s School Health Department, grew from serving three local school districts to six, providing a variety of health promotion programs to area students. Mascolo is very happy in her role as director of School Health Services because she can use her entrepreneurial skills to bring valuable services to the children of Summit County.
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 Tom McDowell
Major Account Manager
ComDoc
Tom McDowell manages the major account group for ComDoc. He has been part of ComDoc in various different roles for 13 years. He has helped take the major account program to new levels and last year the growth was over 1 Million dollars over prior year. Tom was awarded the prestigious “Walt Griffith Award” by ComDoc in 2000 for his display of entrepreneurship and ownership within the organization.
Tom is involved in the community as a commissioner and coach for Bull Dog Youth Football in Green as well as actively volunteering in Green Schools on a monthly basis. Tom also is an active member and board member with Torch Bearers and is a participant in the Heart to Heart Leadership Series. Other involvements include American Heart Association, Akron Marathon and Leaders of Tomorrow for Green Schools.
He and his wife Jan and two sons live in Green.
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 Christopher M. Taylor
President
Taylor & Yaquinto Design
Christopher Taylor established Taylor & Yaquinto in 1990 with Carol Yaquinto, a colleague who had worked with him at a local ad agency. The goal of the new design agency was to provide creative solutions for advertising and marketing challenges while prioritizing personal attention and prompt service to clients.
Initially focusing on business-to-business communications and corporate identity, Taylor & Yaquinto today provides all aspects of advertising creative services, including retail packaging and point-of-purchase product branding. The firm has been recognized nationally by Lowe's Visual Standards for outstanding retail packaging.
Taylor and Yaquinto believe that identifying and fulfilling customer needs – no matter what that takes – are the primary reasons for the firm's success. The company still numbers its first two clients among its growing volume of customers.
Taylor, who enjoys playing golf, has coordinated the Annunciation Church Golf League with his father, Steve, for the past 20 years. Taylor and his wife, Karen, and their two boys live in Akron.
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PAST EXECUTIVES OF THE YEAR (EOY)
| NAME |
COMPANY |
YEAR
|
| Riley Lochridge |
ComDoc, Inc. |
2007
|
| Gary Taylor |
InfoCision Management Corp. |
2006
|
| Martin Hauser |
SummaCare, Inc. |
2005
|
| Tony O'Leary |
Akron Metropolitan Housing Authority |
2004
|
| Thomas Strauss |
Summa Health System |
2003
|
| Frederick Krum |
Akron-Canton Airport |
2002
|
| Luis Proenza |
The University of Akron |
2001
|
| Philip Maynard |
ASW Services, Inc. |
2000
|
| Willard R. Holland |
FirstEnergy Corporation |
1999
|
| Kathryn Hunter |
First Akron Corporation |
1998
|
| Donald Plusquellic |
Mayor, City of Akron |
1997
|
| Tom Murdough, Jr. |
The Step2 Company |
1996
|
| Richard Young |
ARDB |
1995
|
| William Considine |
Children's Hospital Medical Center |
1994
|
| Russell Vernon |
West Point Market |
1993
|
| William Muse, Dr. |
President, Auburn University |
1992
|
| David Brennan |
Amer Cunningham Brennan Co., LPA |
1991
|
| Albert F. Gilbert, Ph.D. |
Summa Health System, Akron City Hospital |
1990
|
| Howard Flood |
... |
1989
|
| Robert Mercer |
Goodyear Tire & Rubber |
1988
|
| Eddie Elias |
Eddie Elias Enterprises |
1987
|
| Raymond Meyo |
Telxon Corporation |
1986
|
| Blake Hooper |
Morgan Adhesive Company |
1985
|
| Robert Clark |
Goodyear Aerospace Corp. |
1984
|
| Don Stephens |
ARDB |
1983
|
| Roy Ray |
Mayor, City of Akron |
1983
|
| Dominic Guzzetta |
... |
1981
|
| John Ballard |
Mayor, City of Akron |
1980
|
| James Ott |
Novar Controls |
1979
|
| Charles Pilliod |
Goodyear Rubber & Tire |
1978
|
| Raymond Firestone |
Firestone Tire & Rubber Co. |
1978
|
| Fred Albrecht |
Acme-Click |
1975
|
| M.G. O'Neil |
General Tire Company |
1974
|
| William Richards, Jr. |
ERIK International Co. |
1973
|
| William C. Zekan |
A. Schulman, Inc. |
...
|
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