Meet Our Team
People Working Together for the Good of Our Community
Akron First is guided by a collaborative team of neighbors, community leaders, nonprofit partners, and faith leaders who share a commitment to strengthening the University Park neighborhood. Together, we steward this historic building as a place where organizations, ideas, and people can come together to serve Akron.
Janis Worley
Finance and Operations Advisor
First Congregational Church of Akron
Rev. R. Brooke Baker
Senior Pastor,
First Congregational Church of Akron
Rev. Ja’Alycia Richmond serves as Associate Pastor at First United Methodist Church of Akron and Wedgewood United Methodist Church. Ja’Alycia holds a Master of Divinity from United Theological Seminary, a Master of Education from Kent State University, and a Bachelor of Science from Baldwin Wallace University. Ja’Alycia is passionate about ministry that strengthens families, builds community, and creates spaces where neighbors can grow together. She and her husband Randale live in Akron with their three children and an energetic kitten.
Eric Ball is a longtime member of First United Methodist Church of Akron, where he serves as a Church Trustee and member of the Business Council. He is also actively involved in various Akron First and church functions, helping support neighbors in the community. Eric spent his professional career in advertising and now brings his experience and perspective to community and volunteer initiatives. In addition to his work with Akron First, he volunteers with the Akron Marathon Race Series.
Rev. R. Brooke Baker serves as Senior Pastor of First Congregational Church of Akron (UCC). She received her Master of Divinity from Lexington Theological Seminary, where she currently serves as Vice President of the Alumni Council. Prior to moving to Akron, Brooke was actively involved in immigration rights advocacy in the Cleveland area. She lives in Akron with her partner and is the proud step-parent of a daughter in college.
Janis Worley serves as the Finance and Operations Manager at First Congregational Church of Akron (UCC). A longtime community volunteer and nonprofit advocate, she has held leadership roles with organizations including the Junior League of Akron, the Gay Community Endowment Fund, Ronald McDonald House Charities of Northeast Ohio, Grace House Akron, the Summit County Historical Society, and Akron Children’s Hospital. Janis brings extensive experience in nonprofit leadership, governance, and organizational operations to the Akron First project. She is engaged to her partner, Lee Andrews, and is the proud parent of two adult children.
Rev. Joy Fenton-Jones
Senior Pastor
First Christian Church (DOC)
Cuyahoga Falls
Rev. Ja'Alycia Richmond
Associate Pastor
First United Methodist Church of Akron
Rev. Joy Fenton-Jones is an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ and serves as pastor of two congregations in Cuyahoga Falls. She is deeply engaged in community-rooted development, particularly through the adaptive reuse of historic buildings as spaces for education, creativity, and belonging. Joy is the founding director of 915 N Main, a nonprofit housed in a former church building that brings together immigrant- and refugee-led organizations, artists, and service providers to create an inclusive hub for cultural exchange and community support. She also advises congregations and nonprofit organizations across Greater Cleveland and Akron as they navigate the intersection of mission, property stewardship, and sustainable redevelopment.
Eric Ball
Community Partner
First United Methodist Church of Akron
William Fenton-Jones
Director of Multicultural Ministries
Ohio Episcopal Area,
The United Methodist Church
Gena Valloric is a longtime member of First United Methodist Church of Akron and part of a family with deep roots in the congregation. Gina plays a vital behind-the-scenes role within the Akron First project, helping coordinate meetings, track project details, and keep the team organized as the work moves forward. Her steady leadership and commitment help ensure that the collaboration remains focused and productive. The Akron First team is deeply grateful for the care and dedication she brings to the project.
William Fenton-Jones serves as Director of Multicultural Ministries for the Ohio Episcopal Area of The United Methodist Church, working across East and West Ohio to support racial equity, community impact, and congregational transformation. Will has a background in urban planning and community development and helps churches reimagine how their buildings and land can serve neighborhood wellbeing. He has worked with congregations and community partners across Northeast Ohio on redevelopment initiatives that connect ministry, property stewardship, and social impact. Will holds a master’s degree in Urban Planning from Cleveland State University and lives in Akron with his wife, Rev. Joy Fenton-Jones, and their two sons.
Rev. Michael Anthony Howard
Senior Pastor
Federated Church of Chagrin Falls
Rev. Michael Anthony Howard is a minister, writer, and community practitioner working at the intersection of faith, neighborhood development, and placemaking. He formerly served as the Minister of Faith in Action with the Living Water Association in the United Church of Christ and is currently serving as senior pastor of Federated Church of Chagrin Falls, and has spent years building partnerships between congregations, nonprofits, and community organizations across Akron and Northeast Ohio. Through projects like Akron First, Michael works to help historic church properties become shared spaces that support collaboration, creativity, and neighborhood wellbeing. He lives in the Cuyahoga River watershed and is the proud father of his daughter, Joey.
Dan is a native Akronite and a graduate of the University of Cincinnati in urban planning and design. He has spent much of his professional life engaged in development and historic preservation work throughout Akron, including more than a decade focused on historic property development and the future of the city’s center core. Dan is especially passionate about the future of the Inner Belt and Center City, working alongside community partners and Leadership Ohio to imagine new possibilities for reconnecting and revitalizing Akron. He also serves on the leadership team of Good Place Publishing, helping shape projects focused on place, history, and the future of community life.
Gena Valloric
Project Coordinator
First United Methodist Church of Akron
Dan Sarvis
Building Specialist
Akron First Collaborative