Ioanna Paraskevopoulos, who created a new nonprofit four years ago to help local residents navigate government processes and systems, is stepping down as its executive director.
“I am proud to be able to hand it off to new leadership as I step away to pursue new opportunities,” Paraskevopoulos said.
Her last day as executive director is March 31.
Action Tank quickly became a source of sound research on local government policy best practices.
City Council Bootcamp, its flagship program, has now graduated almost 75 local citizens — some who have gone on to make big changes on council, planning commission, the Cincinnati Accessibility Board of Advisors and as community advocates.
The organization also released a “Community Benefits Agreement Toolkit” and consulted with resident groups around the country on the CBA process.
In partnership with the Cincinnati Preservation Association, it released the Cincinnati Historic Preservation Action Plan and rallied dozens of partners who will serve as champions to implement each of the action steps identified.
In the coming year, Action Tank will continue to serve Cincinnati residents by releasing an illustrated voters guide, the “Civic Health First Aid Kit,” for the upcoming local election.
It will host a local candidate night for the November council election, and it will release a “Preventing Political Extremism Toolkit,” funded by the Jewish Foundation.
It will also start recruiting for the fourth cohort of City Council Bootcamp in a couple of months.
Paraskevopoulos is staying in Cincinnati, and will be sharing details of her next role in the coming weeks.
Action Tank’s board will be undertaking a search for its next executive director.
Late last year, the Jewish Foundation of Cincinnati awarded a grant to Action Tank as part of an inaugural Reflect Cincy initiative. The seven grants, totaling $288,500, were aimed at funding new and emerging ideas to spark meaning and connection to Jewish life.