The Rotary Club of Akron welcomed Ilene Shapiro as our guest speaker during our Tuesday, August 25th Club meeting. It was a very informative presentation discussing some of the initiatives the Summit County government is working on. View the presentation below or click here.
County Executive Shapiro has an accomplished career resume both in the private and government sectors of our community. County Executive Ilene Shapiro became the fifth Summit County Executive in August of 2016. As Executive, Ilene manages a budget of nearly a half billion dollars and nine departments including: Administrative Services, Communications, Community and Economic Development, Finance and Budget, Human Resources, Job and Family Services, Law, Insurance and Risk Management, Sanitary Sewer Services and the Medical Examiner. In addition to these 9 departments, Ms. Shapiro collaborates closely with 31 Summit County municipalities. Summit County is the fourth largest county in Ohio.
Ilene Shapiro served on Summit County Council for ten years, three of those as Council President. Ilene served on various committees during her tenure on Council, including serving as the Chair of Planning and Economic Development Committee for seven years.
Executive Shapiro is an accomplished business leader with a history of successful business ventures for high growth, established, turn-around and start-up organizations and led Shapiro Consulting, which specialized in the areas of Sales, Marketing, Business Planning, Workforce and Economic Development.
Executive Shapiro began her presentation on leadership from her experience with this quote, “Leadership is heart share and mind share. One doesn’t have to have a title to be a leader. Leadership is ‘moving the community forward’. Leaders grow up with what they have learned. Leaders are defined, not by what they do, but by the things 
they have touched.”
they have touched.”Executive Shapiro discussed several of the initiatives she has been involved with during her tenure as County Executive.
Recently the county formed a collaboration committee to work together in forming a shared dispatching department. Currently seven communities are participating with this initiative. Other communities have expressed interest when their existing contract come up for renewal. To date over seven million dollars have been saved with this centralized dispatch system.
Some other accomplishments included Summit County being the first county in Ohio to offer parental leave for both spouses. Summit County as the second Ohio county to develop a female veteran’s homeless shelter. In 2017 Executive Shapiro “had had it” and decided to take additional action regarding the Opioid Epidemic. On behalf of Summit County residents her office filed lawsuit against the drug manufacturers and pharmaceutical companies. Over 2,000 lawsuits were filed, but the judge selected only Summit and Cuyahoga Counties. The lawsuit was settled for approximately $107 million dollars. These dollars will be allocated over 4 different opioid initiatives.
In addition to these initiatives, her office has been extremely busy dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic and allocating CARES ACT dollars with small business grants, rental and mortgage assistance and other categories specifically outlined by the federal government but distributed and administered by the County.
When Ms. Shapiro is not performing her duties as County Executive, she serves as a board member for the Akron Community Foundation, the University of Akron Research Foundation (UARF), the County Executives of America, the Summit County Land Reutilization Corporation, United Way of Summit County, Akron Metropolitan Area Transportation Study (AMATS), and the Greater Akron Chamber. She also serves on the Summit and Medina Workforce Area Council of Governments and is a member of the Greater Akron Area ATHENA PowerLink governing body. She is an alumnus of both Leadership America and Leadership Akron. She is a past President of the Women’s Network and is a founder of the Women’s Endowment Fund of the Akron Community Foundation.
In recognition of her distinguished work, Shapiro was awarded the U.S. Small Business Administration Women’s Business Advocate for the State of Ohio and the Judith A. Resnick Woman of the Year Award for Inspiration. In 2007, she was recognized with a Women of Professional Excellence Award from Women's Network Inc. And in September 2008, Shapiro was honored as the 2008 Northeast Ohio Athena Award Recipient sponsored by ATHENA International and Inside Business Magazine. In 2011, the Akron Urban League awarded Ilene the distinction of being named as a Pioneer at their annual Pioneer and Protégé’s recognition event. In 2015, she received the Harold Stubbs Award for Government. In 2019, Executive Shapiro was named a Crain’s Cleveland Business Woman of Note.
The Club truly appreciated Executive Shapiro taking time to meet with us virtually and update us on what some of the initiatives Summit County is working on to ensure Summit County is a great place to live and work.
