The Cuyahoga Falls Chamber of Commerce recently recognized three business leaders for their outstanding involvement in making Cuyahoga Falls a better place to live, work and enjoy life.
Cuyahoga Falls was settled in 1812 and is located just north of Akron Ohio (the hometown of LeBron James) and is the second largest city in Summit county.
The three award categories are Business Person of the Year, Business of the Year and Cuyahoga Falls Resident of the Year.
Business Person of The Year was awarded to Matt Weiss of Right Brain Design Group.
Matt was born and raised in Akron Ohio, moving to Cuyahoga Falls with his wife Stephanie to raise his family of three children.
Matt leads a busy professional and personal life juggling running his graphic design company, teaching design graphic courses at the University of Akron as an adjunct professor while organizing an annual charity volleyball tournament that raises money for children in need in Akron Ohio.
Matt is also very active with the school district and provides pro-bono work for many non-profit organizations.
Matt’s wife Stephanie said, “I’m really proud of him. He has worked really, really hard over the last seven years or so to build his business and the chamber has really helped him accomplish those goals and I’m really, really proud that there are people in the community that think of him and gave him this honor.”
Business of the Year was awarded to Clifford-Shoemaker Funeral Home & Crematory.
Steve Shoemaker is the third generation funeral director with the family owned Clifford-Shoemaker Funeral Home, which is also the oldest active business in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio.
Steve is proud to be carrying on the 110 year tradition of providing funeral and burial planning to the tens of thousands of families and veterans who called Cuyahoga Falls home.
Clifford-Shoemaker Funeral Home operates the only on-site crematory in the city to provide families any type of ceremony they wish it to be: simple or elaborate, traditional or unique.
Steve stated, “It’s a great honor to myself as well as my family. It’s on the back of all the hard work of my grandparents and my parents and all the rest of the Clifford Shoemaker extended family that’s been involved in making us what we are today.”
The 2015 Citizen of the Year was awarded to Jason “”Jake” Ricker.
Jake was born and raised in Cuyahoga Falls, has held every position in the Cuyahoga Falls Chamber of Commerce and is currently the Branch Manager of the Cuyahoga Falls branch of PNC Bank.
Jake is married to Dawn and the father of four grown children, and in the last month a new grandfather!
A proud member of the Silver FOGS (Falls Old Guys Soccer), Jake can be found everywhere you go in Cuyahoga Falls.
He volunteers his time and efforts with school committees, sports organizations, the chamber of commerce, his church and as a business advisory member for Western Reserve Hospital which is located in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio.
Jake’s wife Dawn sums up her (and the community’s) pride in Jake, “It’s amazing. I know that he never expects to get recognition for most of what he does but he’s very involved in lots of different community affairs and spends a lot of time away from home, but it’s always a pleasure to know that he’s out there supporting the community and helping to make opportunities for our children and community members.”
Cuyahoga Falls was founded as an industrial city with factories taking advantage of the river’s falls to generate power to support the Akron tire and rubber industries.
Now primarily a residential community, Cuyahoga Falls is home of the Blossom Music Center and the scenic Cuyahoga Valley National Park.