Staff

Kirk Noden

Executive Director

Kirk Noden has worked as a professional organizer for twelve years. Kirk began his organizing career in Chicago first working for a neighborhood based community organization on the west side tackling issues such as abandoned buildings, school overcrowding, crime and safety, and quality of public parks.

Kirk graduated from Kent State University in 1997 with a degree in Philosophy and completed an Honor's Thesis examining black liberation theology and the growing radicalization of Martin Luther King Jr.'s politics in the latter stages of his life. Kirk is married to Rosa and has two sons named Roberto and Emiliano.

Adam Keck

Lead Organizer

Adam Keck grew up in rural North Jackson, Ohio, but his family’s history is deeply ingrained in the boom and bust of the Mahoning Valley’s industrial economy: his great-grandfather was a coal miner, his grandfather worked at and then owned Reliable Source of Metalworks on Hogue Street in Youngstown, and his father saved for college by working summers at Republic Steel and his dad’s shop. Adam considers any advantage that he has had in life a result of the hard work his family put into the rich industrial history of the Valley and envisions a future in which it will return to economic stability and prosperity.

Tammy L. Thomas

Senior Organizer

Tammy has been a resident of the Youngstown community all her life. She is the proud parent of 3 adult children and a grandson. She grew up on the East side of town and graduated from East High School. She treasures many memories of growing up in Youngstown, including shopping downtown; helping her great-grandmother with day work for prominent families; and the comfort of a mixed neighborhood where everyone cared and looked out for each other. She is grateful to have experienced this city when it was still thriving yet, she is just as heartbroken by the experiences of hard times riddled with crime here too.

Becoming a community organizer has given Tammy the opportunity to empower individuals and organizations to institute real change within the community. To create a shift that promotes accountability and responsibility that will help restore Youngstown to a viable community that is "for the people and by the people" who are proud to call it home. She has had successful public meetings along with several neighborhood organizations, faith based organizations and SEIU Local 1199.

Phil Kidd

Community Organizer

Phil is a Class of 2008 Leadership Mahoning Valley graduate and participant in the Class of 2009 Mahoning Valley Government Leadership Academy. He is also a two time “Top 40 under 40” recipient, receiving recognition as “Most Valuable Professional” in 2008 and was named a “Champion of Change” in the Valley by WYTV Channel 33.

While serving in Youngstown, Phil has completed graduate level course work in Criminal Justice at Youngstown State maintaining a 4.0 grade point average. His thesis research focuses on a 21st century crime reduction and community development strategy for the city. Phil currently resides on the city’s North Side.

Chris McKee

Community Organizer

Christopher McKee, Jr. began organizing with MVOC in June of 2009 as an organizing fellow working primarily with clergy and faith-based organizations within the Valley. A native of Youngstown, Ohio, Christopher was reared in the Valley and graduated from Youngstown State University in 2006 with a B.A. in History with a minor course of study in Religion.

Licensed as a Baptist minister in 2003, and ordained to the Christian Ministry in 2007, Christopher began graduate theological education at Yale University in the fall of 2006 and graduated with a Master of Divinity degree in the spring of 2009; Christopher's research interest focused on Systematic Theology and Church History. During his time at Yale Christopher served multiple congregations in Connecticut, ministered throughout the East coast, and spent a term in Cambridge, England examining inter-denominational dialogue within an Anglican seminary.

Nate Brown

Community Organizer

Nathaniel Brown was born and raised in Columbus, Ohio, graduating with honors in 2004 from Upper Arlington High School. Nate is a 2009 graduate of The Ohio State University with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science. This course of study led Nate to intern with the Ohio Secretary of State’s office working first in the Elections Division and later, beginning in the midst of the 2008 election, with the Voting Rights Institute. Upon graduation he worked for Jennifer Brunner's U.S. Senate campaign. During his experience with the campaign, Nate first saw the power, potential and purity of true grassroots politics.

Steve Novotny

Organizing Fellow

Steve Novotny is a third generation Youngstown westsider, having attended St. Brendan’s Church and School before graduating from Ursuline High School in 2004. Steve double majored in Geography and Sociology at Youngstown State University, focusing his studies on urban issues and affairs.

Inspired by the Youngstown 2010 Plan, Steve became heavily involved in the community by organizing charitable events with local artists and musicians that raised several thousand dollars, frequently attending neighborhood meetings, cleanup projects, and events on all sides of the city, and establishing strong relationships with people of many different walks of life.