Mayor's Office
They are instrumental to the ongoing operation and success of the City of Akron and put forth a vision that all City departments work towards.
Mayor’s Cabinet
The Mayor is responsible for assembling a cabinet of dynamic, energetic, and talented leaders to run various City departments or initiatives. The Cabinet serves at the pleasure of the Mayor and work hand-in-hand with the Mayor. See the full Cabinet here.
AKRON RAISED
Born and raised in Akron, Mayor Shammas Malik knows that people are what makes our city special.
Growing up in Northwest Akron, Mayor Malik learned about the importance of public service from his mom, Dr. Helen Qammar, who taught chemical engineering at the University of Akron. To her, life was about finding something you enjoy, and using it to give back to others. She also taught her son the importance of education and hard work. Those values, as well as the International Baccalaureate program at Firestone High School, helped Mayor get a scholarship to The Ohio State University and then the opportunity to attend Harvard Law School.
After finishing law school, Mayor Malik decided to come back home, to serve Akron like his mother.
PUBLIC SERVICE
Since moving home in 2016, Mayor Malik has been dedicated to public service, first as an Assistant Director of Law for the city, and most recently, as the elected representative to City Council for Ward 8. As a city lawyer, he gained a first-hand understanding of every department in city government.
In 2019, Mayor Malik successfully ran for Akron City Council in the neighborhood where he grew up. Since starting on Council in January 2020, Mayor Malik helped respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, ensuring his constituents had the information they needed as the crisis unfolded. He has worked tirelessly to serve the people of Akron in real, everyday ways that impact their lives. From addressing concerns over snow removal and trash pickup, to finding tangible ways to curb neighborhood speeding, to addressing large, structural challenges like community policing – Mayor Malik has consistently answered the call for Akron residents.
BOLD LEADERSHIP
Since being elected to Council, Mayor Malik has worked hard every day on real solutions to the challenges Akron faces. He has successfully advocated for measures to build trust between police and the community, tackle our eviction crisis, and more. He has worked to include residents’ voices in city decisions, like in the planning process for redeveloping the Merriman Valley and advocating for a strategic plan for environmental issues and sustainability for the city. He also has pushed for the implementation of recommendations from the city’s Racial Equity and Social Justice Task Force, including hiring a full-time cabinet position focused on making equity and inclusion a priority in city government.
VISION FOR AKRON’S FUTURE
Mayor Malik believes deeply that for our city to have a successful future, we must change how our city government works – creating a city hall that is more open, more responsive, and more collaborative. He knows that if every one of the 190,000 residents of this city feels heard, we can get folks energized and empowered to be a part of real community-based solutions so everyone feels safe in their neighborhoods, so students can thrive in school, and so young people from Akron can build an amazing life without leaving home.
Mayor Malik was sworn in as Akron's 63rd Mayor on Jan. 1, 2024.