AKRON, OHIO – May 12, 2015 – Kyle Kutuchief, an experienced city development and civic engagement professional, will join the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation as the program director based in Akron.
Kyle Kutuchief
Kutuchief, an Akron native, will work with local leaders and other community members to find and invest in opportunities that build on the city’s vibrancy. He assumes the role immediately.
For the last five months, Kutuchief has served as Knight Foundation interim program director in Akron. Under his direction Knight has made several investments focused on attracting and keeping talent in the city and expanding economic opportunity, including recent funding to the University of Akron.
Previously Kutuchief worked in fund development for the Austen BioInnovation Institute in Akron, a civic collaborative of five leading medical and educational institutions focused on patient-centered product innovation and commercialization.
Civic engagement in Akron has been a focus of Kyle’s career. In 2014, he served as president of Torchbearers, a young professionals organization that supports leadership development, community service, and talent attraction and retention. Under his leadership, the organization created and executed new talent initiatives including Intern Edge, Connect2Akron and Akron2Detroit.
“Kyle is committed to building an Akron where talent stays and thrives. He has spent his career helping revitalize this community—developing new leaders, expanding industry and encouraging people to get involved in shaping their city,” said Carol Coletta, Knight Foundation vice president of community and national initiatives. “In his short time with Knight he has proven to be a strong community connector; he has already established solid roots to build on.”
“I look forward to working with Knight to foster Akron’s potential for growth and its many assets, including its appetite for innovation, established educational institutions, and a network of people and investors who care deeply about the city,” said Kutuchief. “Most of all I’m happy to help build a better future for my hometown and engage the community and its leaders in creating new ideas that contribute to Akron’s success.”
Kutuchief earned a Bachelor of Arts in political science from The Ohio State University and a Master of Public Administration from the University of Akron.
He recently served on the board of Leadership Akron and the Summit Medina County Workforce Investment Board. He is an avid runner who participated in the Akron Marathon Relay from 2005-2013 and ran the full marathon in 2014; he plans to run the marathon again this year.
About the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation
Knight Foundation supports transformational ideas that promote quality journalism, advance media innovation, engage communities and foster the arts. We believe that democracy thrives when people and communities are informed and engaged. knightfoundation.org
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Contact: Anusha Alikhan, Director of Communications, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, 305-908-2677, [email protected]