Meet Shammas

AKRON RAISED

Born and raised in Akron, Shammas knows that people are what makes our city special.

Growing up in Northwest Akron, Shammas learned about the importance of public service from his mom, Dr. Helen Qammar, who taught chemical engineering at the University of Akron. To her, life was about finding something you enjoy, and using it to give back to others. She also taught Shammas the importance of education and hard work. Those values, as well as the International Baccalaureate program at Firestone High School, helped Shammas get a scholarship to The Ohio State University and then the opportunity to attend Harvard Law School.

After finishing law school, Shammas decided to come back home, to serve Akron like his mother.

PUBLIC SERVICE

Since moving home in 2016, Shammas has been dedicated to public service, first as an Assistant Director of Law for the city, and most recently, as the elected representative to City Council for Ward 8. As a city lawyer, he gained a first-hand understanding of every department in city government.

In 2019, Shammas successfully ran for Akron City Council in the neighborhood where he grew up. Since starting on Council in January 2020, Shammas helped respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, ensuring his constituents had the information they needed as the crisis unfolded. He has worked tirelessly to serve the people of Akron in real, everyday ways that impact their lives. From addressing concerns over snow removal and trash pickup, to finding tangible ways to curb neighborhood speeding, to addressing large, structural challenges like community policing – Shammas has consistently answered the call for Akron residents.

BOLD LEADERSHIP

Since being elected to Council, Shammas has worked hard every day on real solutions to the challenges Akron faces. He has successfully advocated for measures to build trust between police and the community, tackle our eviction crisis, and more. He has worked to include residents’ voices in city decisions, like in the planning process for redeveloping the Merriman Valley and advocating for a strategic plan for environmental issues and sustainability for the city. He also has pushed for the implementation of recommendations from the city’s Racial Equity and Social Justice Task Force, including hiring a full-time cabinet position focused on making equity and inclusion a priority in city government.

VISION FOR AKRON’S FUTURE

Shammas believes deeply that for our city to have a successful future, we must change how our city government works – creating a city hall that is more open, more responsive, and more collaborative. He knows that if every one of the 190,000 residents of this city feels heard, we can get folks energized and empowered to be a part of real community-based solutions so everyone feels safe in their neighborhoods, so students can thrive in school, and so young people from Akron can build an amazing life without leaving home.