SUMMIT COUNTY — Summit County Council Feb. 9 approved the appointment of six board members to the Summit Health and Safety Innovation Fund and seven advisory board members to the Field of Interest Fund Advisory Committee — which has been named the Summit County Community Empowerment Foundation.
The Summit Health and Safety Innovation Fund is a charitable entity formed in partnership with Akron Community Foundation (ACF) that is being established with $45 million from the county’s financial settlement with opioid manufacturers and distributors. Six of the board members are appointed by Summit County Executive Ilene Shapiro, and seven members are to be appointed by the ACF. ACF will soon name the remaining seven members of the board.
Once operational and able to provide grants, the fund will support efforts that make a generational impact on the residents of Summit County and will help safeguard the community for decades to come, according to county officials. These efforts include the promotion of prevention, public safety, expanding access to care and supporting long-term recovery…