HISTORY OF

COMING TOGETHER STARK COUNTY

1998 - 2010 

A brief review of our history since 1998 will demonstrate how we are making progress towards our mission to serve as a catalyst and agent to promote inclusion and open opportunity for the diverse population of stark county. Following President Clinton's visit to Akron, Ohio and his subsequent call for a national conversation about race relations, The Stark County Town Hall on Race Relations was formed.  Several volunteers organized behind Rabbi John Spitzer and Ron Ponder to form Town Hall as the agency was often called. These volunteers formed the initial board of directors.  They not only sponsored several town halls, they also organized and secured the necessary funding to support each town hall. 

FOUNDING BOARD MEMBERS 

        Paralee Compton

        Lois DiGiacomo

        Barbara Fleisher

        Frank Fleisher

        Marilyn Thomas-Jones

       Martha Lottman

        Ron Ponder

        Ella Scott

        Rabbi John Spitzer

  TOWN HALLS - 1998 -2008

1998 - TOWN HALL #1        Race to Race/Face to Face

1998 - TOWN HALL #2        Town Hall on Law and Law Enforcement

1999 - TOWN HALL #3        Town Hall on Employment

2000 - TOWN HALL #4        Town Hall on Health

2001 - TOWN HALL #5        Town Hall on Justice

2002 - TOWN HALL #6        A Community of Color Town Hall

2002 - TOWN HALL #7        In Remembrance of 9/11

2006 - TOWN HALL #8        Immigration Town Hall

2008 - TOWN HALL #9 Youth Town Hall - Bridging the Gap I

2008 - TOWN HALL #10 Youth Town Hall - Bridging the Gap II

       In addition to Town Halls, Coming Together Stark County CTSC had three significant events occur in 2004.  First, we received federal recognition as a non-profit agency by obtaining 501 (c) 3 statis; second, we hired our first Executive Director, Mr. Vince Watts; and third, we affiliated with the national agency, Coming Together, USA.  We continued progress towards the goal and ...

• Convened four annual dinners
• Sponsored film series during Black History Month
• Presented two dramatic performances on the main stage of the Players Guild (A Raisin in the Sun and A Lesson Before Dying)
• Hosted two annual Stark County Winter Walks on Diversity
• Participated in discussions of diversity with The United Way of Greater Stark County and Canton City Government.
• Offered Diversity Awareness Training for local  businesses, organizations, schools, colleges and non-profits agencies including:

     By 2006, CTSC faced some major challenges.  We lost our Executive Director and  Deputy Director, board membership was low, funding was questionable  and Coming Together, USA became defunct.  Over the course of four years, CTSC offices were  moved three times.  Although we had found a home at the Goodwill Community Campus, we did not have enough funding to support needed staff.  Over a period of one year, the organization was loosely held together under the leadership of Ron Ponder, Chairman of the Board and interim Executive Director. Despite challenges, CTSC was encouraged by a partnership with Sally Jacobson, Corporate Trainer, to deliver our diversity training curriculum. Diversity Awareness Training was becoming a important part of our agency.

     In addition to Town Halls, Coming Together Stark County CTSC had three significant events occur in 2004.  First, we received federal recognition as a non-profit agency by obtaining 501 (c) 3 statis; second, we hired our first Executive Director, Mr. Vince Watts; and third, we affiliated with the national agency, Coming Together, USA.  We continued progress towards the goal and ...

• Convened four annual dinners
• Sponsored film series during Black History Month
• Presented two dramatic performances on the main stage of the Players Guild (A Raisin in the Sun and A Lesson Before Dying)
• Hosted two annual Stark County Winter Walks on Diversity
• Participated in discussions of diversity with The United Way of Greater Stark County and Canton City Government.
• Offered Diversity Awareness Training for local  businesses, organizations, schools, colleges and non-profits agencies including:

      By 2006, CTSC faced some major challenges.  We lost our Executive Director, board membership was low, funding was questionable  and Coming Together, USA became defunct.  Over the course of four years, CTSC offices were  moved three times.  Although we had found a home at the Goodwill Community Campus, we did not have enough funding to support needed staff.  As a result, members of the board had to deal with losing the Executive Director and the Deputy Director, Rafael Rodquizes and finding new funding sources.  Over a period of one year, the organization was loosely held together under the leadership of Ron Ponder, Chairman of the Board and interim Executive Director. Despite challenges, CTSC was encouraged by a partnership with Sally Jacobson, Corporate Trainer, to deliver our diversity training curriculum.

      The Sisters of Charity Foundation of Canton had always been a major financial supportor of Coming Together Stark County and in 2008, CTSC received a grant award from SOCF that allowed for the hiring of an Executive Director and a Diversity Coordinator.  Nadine McIlwain-Massey and Hundlean Tibbs Maske were hired to fulfill the above positions respectively. 

     A partnership with The Repository lead to a series of articles under the headline, Color of Stark, followed by community conversations throughout Stark County facilitated by Coming Together Stark County.  The discussions which centered on race relations took place in Canton, East Canton, Jackson Township, Louisville, North Canton, Massillon and Alliance. 

     Gaining respect for its diversity awareness training, CTSC provided both non-profit and for profit entities with training over the next two years.  In 2009, Black History Month and Women's History Month were celebrated by hosting two Historic Community Chats written by CTSC board member and Executive Director of Rainbow Repretory Theatre, Lois DiGiacomo.

     Since its inception in 1998 as the Stark County Town Hall on Race Relations (TOWN HALL),  Coming Together Stark County (CTSC) has been and continues to be on the forefront of bringing the various groups in the county together with the goal of making Stark County the best place in the nation to live, work  and raise a family. As utopian as it may sound, the target population for CTSC includes all of Stark County’s 380,608 residents. We expect to achieve our mission and fulfill our purpose by directly affecting every resident one community at a time, one organization at a time, one agency at a time, one CEO at a time, one HR director at a time, one adult at a time and one child at a time. 

CTSC Board of Directors

John Spitzer, President

Edythe Elayne Stinson, Vice- Pres.

Frank Fleischer, Secy.

Rev. Wilbur Allen, III, Treas.

Martha Lottman

Rabbi Leah Herz

Rev. Tony Pugh

Tiffany Williams

Joanne Smith

Robert Torres

Tracy Figuarro

Thelma Slater

Lois DiGiacomo

Craig Smith

Don Singer

Jeff Smith

Martha MacLachlan

Brock Herring

Executive Director

Nadine McIlwain-Massey

Diversity 

Coordinator

Hundlean Tibbs Maske

Administative Assistant

Theresa Kennedy