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David A. Lieberth
166 South High Street
Akron, OH  44308
330-375-2345
DLieberth@AkronOhio.gov

Dave Lieberth brings 34 years of private sector experience - - in business, in media, and in law - - to his position as Akron's Deputy Mayor of Administration, and Chief of Staff to Mayor Don Plusquellic. He joined the city of Akron in May, 2002.

In his present position, Dave also manages the city's downtown operations including major events and Lock 3 Park. He organized the Chriskindl Market at Lock 3, and serves as a liaison with Akron’s sister-city of Chemnitz, Germany.

Lieberth, 61, a resident of Akron's 4th ward, was a journalist and broadcaster during the 1960's and 70's, winning prestigious national awards for his reporting. His published articles on television in the courtroom preceded the Supreme Court's decision to open Ohio courtrooms to television. Dave served on the national board of the Society of Professional Journalists, and the local chapter honored him with its John S. Knight Award in 1993.

Dave's second career was the law. His litigation practice landed him among the few attorneys listed in "The Best Lawyers In America” for 10 consecutive years. He was a Trustee and Fellow of the Akron Bar Association Foundation; and founding president of Summit County's Pre Trial Intervention Project. He was adjunct professor at the University of Akron School of Law for seven terms. In 1998, the Akron Bar Association presented him with the Sir Thomas More Award.

After 20 years as a lawyer, Dave began his third career as a private Mediator in 1997.

In 1999, he was appointed by Mayor Plusquellic to direct "Imagine.Akron: 2025." He headed 38 groups of 400 volunteers who held over 150 individual workgroup meetings; conducted 17 public meetings; and delivered the final report in September 2000 to the Akron Roundtable. In 2000, Dave directed Akron's 175th anniversary celebration and chaired the Centeseptequinary Coalition. He coordinated more than 40 historic events during the anniversary year.

In 2001, Mayor Plusquellic appointed him to chair a select committee of Akron citizens to evaluate candidates for the Akron School Board. He chaired Akron's successful effort to be named an "All America City" by the National Civic League, both in 1995 and in 2008.

Dave was the founding president of Inventure Place (1987-90). He led the group of volunteers who attracted the National Inventors Hall of Fame to Akron, and he wrote and produced the annual Induction Ceremonies from 1990 to 1997.

A video producer and director of live events, Dave produced and wrote the video, "An Introduction to Jury Service" for the Common Pleas court in 1997; and wrote and produced the video training program for guardians in the Probate Court of Summit County in 1999. He produced and wrote two, hour-long documentaries about Akron for PBS 45/49. "Inventive. Industrious. Inspired," the history of Akron, was honored by the Columbus International Film Festival in 2001. "Reinventing Akron: Stories of a Generation," featured oral histories with 16 recipients of the Bert Polsky Humanitarian Award.

For 16 years, Dave has produced and hosted the Polsky Award program, which attracts more than 400 people annually and has raised over $1 million for Akron Community Foundation.

He was selected by the White House to moderate President Clinton's first town meeting on Race that was nationally televised on C-Span from Akron in 1997. Dave was chosen by Ohio Chief Justice Thomas Moyer to moderate the 2003 statewide discussion on reform of campaign finance laws, and is moderating a 2008 statewide forum in May on families and children for the Supreme Court’s Judicial College.

He chaired the 1997 opening of Canal Park and produced opening ceremonies for: Inventure Place (1995), the John S. Knight Center (1994), and Akron's First Night (1997,1998).

Dave’s community activities reflect a diversity of interests. He is one of the founders of the Leadership Akron program. He retired as a founding member of the board in 2003 after serving 20 years. He served as a trustee of the Children Services Board (1986-1990). He chaired the first Summit Meeting of agencies dealing with children's issues (now in its 21st year); and has served as speaker or moderator for dozens of community meetings on child abuse and neglect.

A local historian, he was president of the Summit County Historical Society,(1980-1983) developed its first endowment fund, and opened its first new museum in 40 years. He chaired the project that marks the Portage Path Indian Trail with permanent markers, dedicated in October 2001. He has also chaired boards of the University of Akron Law School Alumni Association, and the Akron Metropolitan Housing Authority. He has been a trustee of the Akron Community Foundation, a member of the University of Akron's national Alumni Board, and received the University of Akron’ Alumni Honor Award in 1989. In 1997 he chaired the Civic Theatre's Annual Fund, and in 1999 chaired Magical Theatre’s Endowment Fund drive.

Dave is in his 6th year of service as a Director of Summa Health System, and has served on WKSU's Advisory Board. Presently, he is a member of the Executive Committee of the Downtown Akron Partnership, a member of the Board of the Akron-Summit Convention & Visitors Bureau, a member of the Advisory Committees of Hospice of Summa and the D.O.V.E. program at St.Thomas Hospital, a director of the Akron Zoo, and a member of the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad Akron Advisory Committee. In 2005, Dave was honored by the Akron-Summit Convention and Visitors Bureau as the 4th recipient of the Chairman’s Award for his contributions to enhancing Greater Akron as a tourism destination.

Lieberth graduated from the University of Akron in 1969 and received a Masters degree in Television from Syracuse University in 1970. He is a graduate of the School of Law of the University of Akron (1977).

Dave has been married 38 years to Lynne. They have two children, Kate, a ballet teacher in the San Francisco Bay area, and Emma, a graduate of the University of Akron's Bliss Institute, who works as Assistant to the President of the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence in Washington, D.C.