Events

Join us for a panel discussion on the changing landscape of public health, featuring Donna Skoda, Dr. Amy Lee, and Dr. Tara Smith. They will explore the impacts of COVID-19, shifting public policies, diminishing community trust, and the challenges on the horizon. The discussion will be moderated by Cheryl Powell, executive editor of the Akron Beacon Journal, and will include an opportunity for audience questions.

Hear directly from experts who’ve been on the frontlines of public health challenges. From pandemic response to policy shifts, you’ll gain insights that connect big-picture issues to the lives of people right here in Summit County.

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Event Details

• Date: Wednesday, January 29, 2025
• Time: Doors open at 11 a.m. for a buffet luncheon. The program begins at noon.
• Cost: $35 per individual, $210 for a table of 6. Check only on the day of the event.
• Deadline: Reserve your spot by noon on Friday, January 24, 2025. Click here to register or email Emily Henthorn at akronpressclub@gmail.com.
  • Cancellation Policy: Cancellations must be received 48 hours before the event for a refund. After that, an invoice will be issued for payment.
• NEW LOCATION: East End Community Room in Goodyear Hall, 1201 East Market Street, Akron
  • View on map

• PARKING: Available in the lot at the corner of Goodyear Boulevard and East Market Street. Cross the street to 1201 and look for the entrance that says "Goodyear Hall" above the doors. The elevator to the second floor opens in front of the East End Community Room where the program will be held.  

  

Meet the Panelists

Donna Skoda
Skoda served 38 years in the field of public health, beginning as a dietician and ending with her nine-year tenure as Summit County’s health commissioner. As commissioner, she oversaw the county’s response to the H1N1 influenza, Ebola, the opioid epidemic and COVID-19.  She helped oversee the creation of a $45 million health and safety endowment from the county’s settlement with opioid manufacturers.

Dr. Amy Lee
Lee is an executive board member of the American Public Health Association, professor of Family and Community Medicine at the Northeast Ohio Medical University (NEOMED) and director of the East Ohio Master of Public Health Consortium. She’s a graduate of NEOMED and completed her residency and post-graduate work at The Ohio State University. She also serves on the Public Health Foundation Board, and on the executive board of the American Public Health Association, where she is a member of the committees on finance and on social responsibility.

Dr. Tara Smith
Smith has been on the faculty of Kent State University’s College of Public Health for 11 years, coming back to her native Ohio after nine years at the University of Iowa’s College of Public Health Department of Epidemiology. There, she directed the College’s Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases. Her research has focused primarily on infections spread between animals and humans, and her published articles include Vaccine Rejection and Hesitancy. She earned her Ph.D. at the University of Toledo and a B.S. in biology from Yale University.

Moderator
 

Cheryl Powell
Powell oversees the Beacon Journal newsroom and serves as regional editor for four additional USA TODAY Network Ohio newsrooms: The Canton Repository, the Ravenna Record-Courier, Alliance Review and Massillon Independent. She spent much of her 27-year career at the Beacon Journal covering health issues. She is a former metro editor and managing editor. Powell was named executive editor of Akron’s largest newsroom in 2024.

Funding College Scholarships

Your attendance helps fund scholarships for journalism and public relations students. In 2024 alone, the Akron Press Club and John S. Knight Memorial Scholarship Fund awarded $50,000 in scholarships to 10 deserving students.

Register Here

Join us for an afternoon of meaningful discussion, local perspectives, and a look at the road ahead for public health in our community.