Our Staff
Justin Everett Hilton
President
330.436.9001
jhilton@leadershipakron.org
Justin Hilton was named President of Leadership Akron effective June 15, 2022. Prior to this, he served as Program Director with The Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company. Justin has thirty years of experience in executive administration, higher education, public relations, consulting, architecture, and business. Prior to Goodyear, Justin was with Kent State University for twenty years serving in a number of roles, including Senior Administrator for Community Outreach and Senior Associate Vice President of University Relations.
Justin currently serves on the Leadership Advisory Board of the LeBron James Family Foundation, Executive Committee and Board of Directors of Building Bridges Foundation, and Executive Committee and Board of Directors of 100 Who Care CAK. He has previously served on the board for Leadership Akron, Stan Hywet, Akron Pregnancy Services, Access Inc., and ArtsNow, and was a member of the Steering Committee & Advisory Board for Akron Public Schools College and Career Academies.
Justin is a graduate of the Signature Program (Class 27) and has been a longstanding and impactful contributor to Leadership Akron in particular and throughout Greater Akron.
Elizabeth Saraceno
Senior Development Director
(330) 436-9003
esaraceno@leadershipakron.org
Elizabeth Saraceno "re-joins" Leadership Akron effective February 12, 2024. Prior to this, she was Vice President, Community Engagement Manager for First Commonwealth Bank, overseeing all community giving, community engagement, volunteerism, low-moderate income relationships and investments, and assisting in diversity and inclusion efforts throughout their footprint of Pennsylvania and Ohio.
In heading up all community giving for the bank, Saraceno worked with the Executive Leadership, President, CEO, Regional Presidents, as well as the Retail, Mortgage, Advisor, Insurance, and Corporate partners; honing her expertise in effectively building relationships at all levels. Annually, she set, managed and achieved all strategic goals including a $2 million dollar budget. Saraceno chaired the Executive Leadership giving committee on large multiyear commitments, spent 5 years leading the Education Improvement Tax Credit program, and collaborated on the community development Neighborhood Assistance Program.
Saraceno is deeply passionate about community and has spent more than twenty years in the community space as a volunteer and employee, serving in both the for profit and non-profit sectors with expertise in development, communications, marketing, events, community engagement & impact, capacity & relationship building, and fundraising.
Elizabeth’s community affiliations include; WITAN, Leadership Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh Action Against Rape, Sarah Heinz House, Dollar Energy Fund Board, the Greater Akron Chamber’s Women’s Network Community Leadership Institute, and Leadership Akron.
A native of greater Akron and an Alumna of the University of Akron, Elizabeth has spent many years specifically serving the Akron community through employment at Stewart’s Caring Place and Leadership Akron. The past several years she and her family have been residing in Pittsburgh, PA and are thrilled to be back in their hometown of Akron, Ohio.
Saraceno is a graduate of Leadership Development Initiative (LDI) XVI of Leadership Pittsburgh and the Greater Akron Chamber’s Women’s Network CLI Inaugural class.
When she’s not serving her community, she loves spending time with her family. She has a husband Nate and two daughters, Madison and Charlotte. She especially loves spending time in the Metro Parks and enjoying the arts, culture, and small businesses that make up Akron.
Aimee Ritter
Program Coordinator
330.436.9007
aritter@leadershipakron.org
Aimee has been fortunate to experience many adventures leading up to her joining the Leadership Akron team. Her experience in the community and abroad has helped shaped her professional and personal life. Both at home and overseas her adventures have become the platform on which she operates today.
After graduating from Norton high school, Aimee relocated to Costa Rica where for the next year she volunteered with the Turtle Conservation Volunteer Project on the Nicoya Peninsula, the Monteverde Cloud Forest in the Puntarenas province, and with a wildlife rescue center near Mount Arenal Volcano. After returning from Costa Rica, she attended Kent State University and graduated in 2004 with her degree in Environmental Science/Conservation. From here, she moved to Sri Lanka to volunteer at the Dehiwala Zoological Garden in Columbo where she was able to oversee the construction of new animal exhibits. She then moved to Kegel to work with rescued Asian elephants. After Sri Lanka, Aimee continued her journey through Thailand, China, Vietnam and Cambodia before landing in Australia. She did short volunteer projects while exploring Australia. Some of these projects included rescued kangaroo’s, tour guide in the South Blackwood State Forest and reef conservation.
Upon returning to Ohio, Aimee worked for BJAAM Environmental, Inc. as a Project Manager. Here she implemented environmental field sampling plans for underground storage tank removal and corrective actions. After a several-year hiatus from the corporate world, she invested heavily during this time into her family as well as running a business from home. Aimee is excited to open a new chapter with Leadership Akron, where she can lead a life of impact and inspiration.
Henry Johnson, Jr.
Senior Program Manager
330.436.9009
hjohnson@leadershipakron.org
As a lifelong Summit County resident, Henry has spent over 23 years developing his leadership abilities through his consistency and dedication to employment with Acme Fresh Market. His career has afforded him the opportunity to serve in various leadership roles perpetuating his passion to mentor and develop the next generation of leaders.
In his current position as Program Facilitator with Leadership Akron, Henry Johnson is ardent and prudent about assisting in the growth of the community moving forward. He is the 2021 graduate of the Green Community Leadership Institute which helped to awaken his aspiration to delve into more direct leadership roles. He is also a 2022 graduate of Leadership Akron’s Diversity on Board’s sixth cohort. Throughout his tenure as a leader, Henry has served and volunteered in numerous activities and initiatives in various capacities.
Henry has served on a number of Community Boards and Committees. He currently serves as, Co-Chair of the Green YMCA Advisory Board, Access Shelter Board of Directors and Development Committee, Summit Art Space Community Engagement Committee, Founding Member, Chair and Lead Facilitator of the City of Green’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee.
Henry resides with his equally amazing wife and children. He enjoys traveling which grants him the opportunity to learn and become enriched by the unique architecture and historical culture. Henry’s hobbies also include reading, podcasting, and writing, just to name a few. Henry Johnson’s aspiration to serve and grow are genuine and just as distinctive as the ideas he brings to Leadership Akron.
Ken Evans
Program Facilitator
330.436.9006
kevans@leadershipakron.org
Raised in rural Carroll County, Ken always had a deep curiosity about the world and a strong sense of empathy. Growing up, he enjoyed learning about history, government, and science and would become an accomplished impromptu speaker and public forum debater during high school. He received his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from The University of Toledo and was an active member of the UT student body.
Following College, Ken's part-time job selling beer turned into a mini career in the Beer-Wine Industry. In 2014 he moved to Akron, where he found the historic and eclectic city of Akron sparked his long-held interest in community development.
In 2018, he became an AmeriCorps VISTA at the East Akron Neighborhood Development Corporation, where he worked on issues around food insecurity and community engagement. Returning to the VISTA program, Ken spent another two years at The Well CDC in Akron's Middlebury neighborhood, where he worked to develop Akron's first publicly accessible Tool Library. During this time, he also became an active contributor to Akron's former Devil Strip Magazine and was accepted into the 2021 class of Torchbearers.
Passionate about anything local, he seeks to build a stronger identity for Akron and the Midwest region. Outside of Leadership Akron, Ken enjoys writing, local politics, nature/conservation, retro gaming, comics, and amateur archeology.