About GAR
GAR Staff
The professional staff at GAR Foundation is dedicated to meeting the needs of the community through charitable giving of the Foundation. For questions regarding the GAR Foundation or to inquire about giving opportunities, please feel free to give us a call or send an email. Visit our Contact Us page.
Our office is open between the hours of 8 a.m-4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Robert W. Briggs
President
330-576-2926
rbriggs@garfdn.org
Rob Briggs is the President of the GAR Foundation and chairman emeritus and former CEO of Buckingham, Doolittle & Burroughs, LLP. He became a Knight Foundation Trustee in June 2002 and was elected Chair in 2010.
An active member of the Akron community who has served with numerous organizations over the years, Rob is currently involved with a number of regional organizations. He is a board member and former co-chair of OneCommunity, and board member and chair of Invent Now, Inc., fka The National Inventors Hall of Fame Foundation. He was the founding chair and is a member of the Fund For Our Economic Future, which is an unprecedented collaboration created by more than 80 funders in Northeast Ohio to focus on regional economic development. He also serves on the Board of FirstMerit Corporation and other for-profit businesses.
Among the honors Rob has received for his work are an honorary doctorate from Baldwin-Wallace College, the Distinguished Service Award from the Akron Community Foundation, the Hope Award from the Northeastern Ohio Chapter of the Multiple Sclerosis Society, the Honorary Alumni Award from the University of Akron, the Community Service Award from both the Great Trail Council of the Boy Scouts and the Northwest Summit County Rotary, the 1st Annual Team NEO, H. Peter Burg Regional Vision Award, the Northeast Ohio Regional Leadership Task Force 2006 Regional Vision Award, the Sir Thomas More Award from the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland Foundation and the Akron Bar Association, and he is a 2010 recipient of the Harold K. Stubbs Humanitarian Award.
Rob received his bachelor’s degree from Duke University and his law degree from The Ohio State University College of Law. He resides near Akron on a mini farm where he raises Belted Galloway beef cattle. He has three children and four grandchildren.
Christine Amer Mayer
Chief Operating Officer and Legal Counsel
330-576-2911
cmayer@garfdn.org
Born and raised in Akron, Christine Amer Mayer has deep ties to the Foundation’s home community. She received her bachelor’s degree in English from Duke University in Durham, North Carolina and her law degree from The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law. For eight years, following law school, Ms. Mayer practiced commercial litigation and business law with the firm of Buckingham, Doolittle & Burroughs. She has worked with the GAR Foundation since 2001. Ms. Mayer has a special interest in regional economic development and has been heavily involved in The Fund For Our Economic Future, a philanthropic collaboration focused on improving the economic trajectory of Northeast Ohio. She also serves on several not-for-profit boards and initiatives. Ms. Mayer and her husband, Richard, live in Solon with their three young children.Gordon J. Hewitt
Chief Financial Officer
(330) 572-2809
GHewitt@garfdn.org
Gordon Hewitt joined the GAR Foundation in April 2010 in the newly created position of chief financial officer. As the foundation´s chief financial officer, Gordon oversees all of the foundation´s financial activities including, administrative and financial reporting and analysis for the staff and the Distribution Committee.
Prior to joining the GAR Foundation, Gordon served as the chief financial officer at Recovery Resources, a non-profit behavioral healthcare agency in the Greater Cleveland area. Before entering the non-profit environment, Gordon retired from The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co as Director of Financial Operations & Analysis after thirty-four years of deep experience in finance and accounting.
He received his bachelor of science degree in business administration from Jones College. A native of Youngstown, Ohio, Gordon currently resides in Shaker Heights. He has three grown children, which now includes three grandchildren.
Candace Campbell Jackson
Consulting Program Officer
330-972-7709
candac7@uakron.edu
Candace Campbell Jackson has worked with the GAR Foundation since 1998. In recent years, she has served as a consulting program officer for GAR, dedicating the majority of her professional time to her role as Vice President and Chief of Staff at the University of Akron. Formerly, Ms. Jackson was in the Public Law and Corporate Departments of the law firm, Buckingham, Doolittle & Burroughs, LLP. Ms. Jackson holds a B.S. in Journalism from Howard University in Washington, D.C. and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Akron School of Law. She and her husband, Mark Jackson, Sr., have four children.
Kirstin S. Toth
Senior Program Officer
330-576-2917
ktoth@garfdn.org
Kirstin S. Toth joined the Foundation in early 2007. Previously, Ms. Toth served as the consulting Project Director for the Great Lakes Environmental Finance Center at Cleveland State University’s Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs, where she managed a number of consulting and research projects in economic development, brownfields redevelopment, and public management serving a variety of state, regional and federal clients. Ms. Toth has also worked in the private sector at Bank One and in the public sector as an aide to the Board of Cuyahoga County Commissioners. Ms. Toth holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Ohio University, and a Master of Public Administration in economic development from Cleveland State University. She serves as Chair of the Summit Education Initiative (SEI)and on the Advisory Council of the Summit County Family & Children First Council. Ms. Toth volunteers with Hudson Job Search, and lives in Hudson with her husband David and their two sons.
Julie Rittenhouse
Program Officer
330-576-2913
jrittenhouse@garfdn.org
Julie Rittenhouse joined the Foundation in July 2008 with nine years of philanthropic experience in Cleveland that included strategic initiatives, special projects, program management and evaluation. Ms. Rittenhouse is a Lecturer at Cleveland State University’s Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Studies. She previously managed community development and leadership training projects at the Levin College and has consulted on affordable housing initiatives. Ms. Rittenhouse has been an active volunteer with social services and educational organizations throughout her career. She holds a bachelor of arts degree in government and international studies from the University of Notre Dame and a master’s of science in social administration from Case Western Reserve University. She is a longtime resident of the Ohio City neighborhood of Cleveland.
Julie A. Watson
Program Assistant
330-576-2915
JWatson@garfdn.org
Julie A. Watson is the foundation´s Program Assistant and has been with GAR Foundation since 1998. She previously served as an administrative assistant with the former Roadway Services, Inc. (now Caliber System). Ms. Watson holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Bowling Green State University, and resides in Akron.
