Laura Duda was previously a member of the Akron and Tampa Downtown Daybreak Rotary clubs. Julie Brandle serves as her current club sponsor and her original sponsor was Steve Shechter. She said she is happy to reconnect with old Rotary friends and make some new friends.
Rotary has been deep in her heart for many years - she participated in a group study exchange program and lived in India for several months during the cultural exchange. Laura said, “it changed my life”. She participated in polio immunizations and visited rural areas of the country, where the only reason there is a hospital, ambulance and a school, is because of Rotary.
Along with other scholars she formed a club in Tampa where she served as President.
Duda is Senior Vice President and Chief Communications Officer of The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company. As the chief communications officer, Duda leads all internal and external communications for the company, including public and media relations, employee communications, corporate reputation management, philanthropy and community relations, as well as Goodyear’s fleet of world-famous airships.
Raised in St. Petersburg, Florida, Duda attended Western Carolina University, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in Writing & Editing. She later received her Master of Arts degree in Mass Communication from University of Florida and her Master of Business Administration degree from The University of Tampa. She is accredited in Public Relations and is a member of the Arthur W. Page Society and a graduate of Leadership Tampa, Leadership Greater Chicago and Leadership Akron.
In 2020 and 2021, Duda was named to the National Diversity Council’s Power 50, honoring women in the C-suite from top corporations who endeavor to improve not just departments and companies, but communities as well. She was also named to PR Week’s 2021 Hall of Femme, recognizing inspiring women who set the bar higher within their organizations, nominated by their peers and colleagues, and as one of the 2021 Women of Note by Crain’s Cleveland Business. Duda was Goodyear’s 2020 Employee Resource Group executive sponsor of the year for her work with the company’s Asia India Middle East (AIM) ERG. Duda is a board member of the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, the Greater Akron Chamber of Commerce and the Ohio & Erie Canalway Coalition and a trustee of the Institute for Public Relations and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
Duda and her husband, Michael, both avid hikers, live in Northeast Ohio with their four-legged children.
Candace Harmon may be new to Rotary but not to community service! She has over 20 years serving with Girl Scouts where she is a lifetime member. Harmon enjoys being actively involved and is a member of the Akron Chamber, Medina Women's Endowment Fund Board, AFP NEO, and Leadership Akron women's program.
She refers to herself a “camp nerd” and served as a camp director so she is excited about helping with projects at our Rotary Camp for Special Needs Children.
Tamara Mora is her sponsor and shared “Candace has been involved in Northeast Ohio for years. She will make a great Rotarian because she has a passion for the general betterment of the Akron community. She has been in fundraising/development/non-profit work for 7 years. Candace has a fun and caring spirit.”
Harmon currently works as the Strategic Partnership Manager for Jobs for Ohio’s Graduates and is a graduate of The University of Akron.
She is married to Travis and they live in Copley with their 3.5 year old daughter. Harmon and her family enjoy spending time outdoors.
Michelle Wilson is the Executive Director of Global Ties Akron (GTA). At GTA, Wilson is responsible for international exchanges for professional developments through the U.S. Department of State and has written grants to bring professionalsfrom a myriad of countries to Akron, Ohio, usually up to 8-10 delegations per year. She has met many of our members through her initiatives and has spoken at numerous Rotary Clubs.
GTA, under Wilson's leadership, provides outreach to the Akron community linking our local children to the international scene.
On her Linkedin profile she states "Through my work both with Global Ties Akron and in the community my focus is on building mutual understanding and respect, helping others to realize the value of diversity especially through global education and citizen diplomacy, and connecting the Akron area and Northeast Ohio to world leaders and changemakers to build a global network of community builders."
Her sponsor, Susan Colville-Hall said, “Michelle Wilson is a miracle worker. These groups experience a schedule of interaction with community services and industries suited to their professional needs. They may be medical teams, educators, civic engineers, government servants, etc. Friendships and international connections are formed and Akron benefits because the rest of the world knows Washington, D.C., New York City and Akron, Ohio!”
She and her husband John reside in New Franklin, Ohio.
