The park district’s governing body is the five-person Board of Park Commissioners, appointed by the Summit County Probate Judge. Commissioners are volunteers who serve without compensation.
From left to right: Jill M. Stritch, Herb Newman, S. Theresa Carter, Rev. Dr. Curtis T. Walker Sr., and Joel D. Bailey
Joel Bailey serves as chairman of the Summit County Resource Commission and is on the Board of Directors of The First Tee of Akron and the Bliss Institute for Applied Politics at The University of Akron. A member of the Greater Cleveland Partnership Government Affairs Council, Bailey is an alumnus of Leadership Ohio and Leadership Akron.
Bailey served as vice president, state/local affairs and economic development, for FirstEnergy Service Co., a subsidiary of FirstEnergy Corp. Prior to joining FirstEnergy, Bailey was the deputy mayor for administration to Akron Mayor Don Plusquellic. As deputy mayor, he served as chief of staff and was a key advisor during the 11 years he worked at Akron City Hall. Bailey has also worked in government at the state and federal levels. He has a bachelor’s degree from Lubbock Christian University and a master’s degree from The University of Akron.
Theresa Carter is president of Synthomer Foundation (formerly OMNOVA Solutions), a $30 million endowment supporting local communities. Ms. Carter is active in her church, and serves on a number of non-profit community boards, advisory councils and committees, including the Greater Akron Chamber, the NAACP Akron Chapter, Cleveland Clinic Akron General Medical Center, Cleveland State University Foundation board and the Sojourner Truth Project. She is an emeritus board member with the Akron Urban League. Ms. Carter has been honored with many awards for her service and commitment to the community, including the Akron Urban League’s Whitney M. Young Jr. Community Service Award, the Greater Akron Chamber, American Red Cross & Akron Public Schools’ H. Peter Burg Leadership Award, Leadership Akron’s Lieberth Award, and the Executive of the Year Award through the Akron/Canton Affiliate of National Sales & Marketing Executives. Theresa was also a recipient of OMNOVA Solutions Chairman’s Award (the company’s highest honor).
A native of Demopolis, Alabama, Theresa graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from the University of Alabama.
Herb Newman is a graduate of The Ohio State University and has a law degree from The University of Akron. A former director of Akron Metropolitan Housing Authority, Newman devotes his law practice to issues related to Summit Management Services, Inc. and its related entities. The company manages multifamily units. He is also president and principal stockholder of Multifamily Mortgage Corporation, which specializes in the financing of FHA multifamily mortgages. Newman is also an owner/developer of retail shopping areas geared to national tenants with his business partner, Robert L. Stark.
Newman is a past board member of the Shaw Jewish Community Center, belongs to Beth El Synagogue, and with his wife, Dianne, is active in numerous community activities including the Shaw JCC, the Akron Art Museum, United Way, and the alumni association of The University of Akron.
Jill Stritch retired as the director of administration for the City of Tallmadge and is an active member of the Tallmadge community. She has served on the Charter Commission for the City of Tallmadge, Tallmadge Community Improvement Corporation, Parks and Recreation Governing Board and Summit County Safety Council. She is a former member of the Tallmadge Community Enrichment Foundation and Tallmadge School Facilities Commission.
Stritch is an alumnus of Kent State University. She is a member of Tallmadge Rotary and Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens.
Rev. Dr. Walker is an ordained elder in the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church and an active member of the Akron community. He is a former member of the Akron Board of Education where he served five four-year terms, three as president. He has served on the Ohio School Board Association Board of Trustees, Urban School District Advisory Network and Northeast Regional Executive Committee, Board of Trustees for the Girl Scouts of the Western Reserve, Summit Chapter of the American Red Cross, NAACP, Summit County Housing Trust Fund and many others. He is the recipient of several prestigious awards, including the Ohio School Board Association Northeast Ohio Outstanding Board Member Award and the National School Board Association Council on Urban School Boards Benjamin E. Mays Lifetime Achievement Award.
Originally from Hartford, Connecticut, Rev. Dr. Walker graduated from the University of Connecticut with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. He received his Master of Divinity from Livingstone College/Hood Theological Seminary, where he is a member Emeritus of the Board of Trustees, and later earned his Doctorate of Ministry from Emory University/Candler School of Theology.
Lisa King: Executive Director
Lisa King
Appointed in September 2015, King is the seventh director of Summit Metro Parks, which was established in 1921. In this role she serves as the chief executive and chief financial officer, leading and directing the organization to ensure achievement of its mission, financial viability, short and long-term growth, and stability.
An employee since 1998, King has also served as the park district’s landscape architect and its chief of planning and development. She is a graduate of The Ohio State University, a state-registered landscape architect, a champion of sustainable design, and a certified parks and recreation professional through the National Recreation and Park Association. King has managed a variety of facility and trail improvement projects for the park district, including the construction and certification of two LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)-certified “Platinum” buildings.
2025 Board Meeting Dates
Board meetings are held at 11:30 a.m. inside the visitors center at F.A. Seiberling Nature Realm, 1828 Smith Rd., Akron, Ohio.
All petitions, applications and communications intended for consideration by the board must be in writing and received by the executive director at least five business days before the board meeting.
*Commissioners, who are also trustees for the Summit Metro Parks Foundation, will conduct a Foundation meeting immediately following the regular board meeting.
Park Departments
Explore the diverse service areas of park district staff.
