Mayor Dan Horrigan Announces New Leadership in Department of Finance
Appointments prompted by retirement of Director of Finance Diane Miller-Dawson
City of Akron Press Release
From the desk of Ellen Lander Nischt, Press Secretary
Published: 08-19-2019
Akron, Ohio, August 19, 2019 – Mayor Dan Horrigan is pleased to announce changes within his cabinet, prompted by the retirement of Diane Miller-Dawson, who has served as Director of Finance since 2004. Mayor Horrigan has appointed Steve Fricker as Director of Finance and Shelley Goodrich, Esq. as Deputy Director of Finance, to add capacity and bring diverse experience to the City’s financial leadership.
As previously announced, Director of Finance Diane Miller-Dawson is retiring from the City of Akron at the end of August. Steve Fricker will succeed her as the new Director of Finance for the City, starting September 1, 2019. Fricker joined the City of Akron in 1992 as a Budget Analyst and worked his way up to Deputy Tax Commissioner, City Treasurer, and most recently to Deputy Director of Finance in 2016. Steve is a Certified Public Investment Manager with extensive experience in budgeting, analytics, municipal debt finance and developing financial reporting systems. For several years, Steve has played a central role in the development of the City’s annual operating budget.
“Steve brings more than 25 years of government financial accounting experience to this position, including the last four years as Deputy Finance Director,” Mayor Horrigan said. “During that time, he has proven to be thorough, accurate, dedicated, and responsible. I’m confident that, under Steve’s direction, the Department will continue its distinguished record of creating and managing a budget that supports neighborhood services, enables economic and community development, and invests in our public infrastructure.”
To round out the leadership of the Finance Department, Mayor Horrigan is pleased to announce the appointment of Shelley Goodrich, Esq. as the City’s new Deputy Director of Finance. Goodrich brings to the position 13 years of legal and accounting experience, as Tax Administrator for the City of Cuyahoga Falls, Assistant Director of Law for the City of Akron, and most recently as Financial Administrator for the United States District Court - Northern District of Ohio.
“Shelley has valuable knowledge and diverse experience in financial accounting, tax administration and case management, as well as nearly a decade of service as a government legal professional,” Mayor Horrigan added. “She will balance our financial leadership team and bring a fresh perspective to help improve workflow and efficiency as we serve our customers, vendors, employees and residents.”
The City of Akron Finance Department oversees the City’s $600 million operating budget, which supports Mayor Horrigan’s priorities of increasing economic opportunity, improving public life, and strengthening Akron neighborhoods. The Department of Finance consists of the following divisions: General Accounting, Audit & Budget, Utilities Business Office, Income Tax, Purchasing, and Treasury. For 35 consecutive years, the City of Akron has been awarded the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award by the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) for its annual budget. The Distinguished Budget Presentation Award is the highest form of recognition in the area of governmental budgeting, and represents a significant achievement by the City of Akron and its management team. To view the City of Akron’s financial records, please visit www.akronohio.gov/cms/openbooks.
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For further information, contact:
Ellen Lander Nischt
Press Secretary
E-mail: [email protected]
