Login | October 24, 2025
Retired Akron Bar CEO C. Allen Nichols reflects on his career
SHERRY KARABIN
Legal News Reporter
Published: October 24, 2025
It’s been about 12 years since C. Allen Nichols took on the role of executive director of the Akron Bar Association.
Since then, he’s worked closely with other staff members to manage the organization, retain and increase membership numbers, address changes to the notary process and ensure the association’s smooth operation throughout the Covid-19 pandemic.
But on Oct. 3 Nichols—whose title was changed to chief executive officer—retired, passing the torch to the bar association’s new CEO Catherine Kurela.
“It has been a great run, but it is the right time to retire,” said Nichols. “My wife and I have been very blessed in many ways and we are hoping to take advantage of the opportunity to travel and spend more time with family while we are still healthy.”
He’s been working closely with Kurela since she began on Sept. 4 to ensure a smooth transition.
“I think Cate is going to be great,” said Nichols. “She has a lot of professional association experience that will benefit the bar association.
“We’ve got a great staff and I’m sure they will assist her in any way they can.”
Kurela said she hopes to honor Nichols’ legacy and commitment to the organization.
“Even before I met Allen, I heard many wonderful things about him,” Kurela said, adding he’s provided many years of “steady guidance and careful, thoughtful management to both staff and the association’s leadership.
“In the short time I have been able to work with Allen, he has displayed great integrity toward and homage to the association’s history while providing the context I need to help facilitate a smooth transition,” said Kurela.
Akron Bar Association President Brian J. Moore, a shareholder at Roetzel & Andress, said Nichols is “uniformly regarded as an excellent CEO” among the bar association’s past presidents.
“He has come up with many initiatives that have been helpful for the bar association,” said Moore. “He has improved the finances of the bar association, managed the organization well through the COVID shutdowns and did a wonderful job keeping our membership relationships and numbers strong.
“Given that we also own our building, he’s also been responsible for managing our headquarters, including our tenant relationships.
“One secret that not everyone knows about Allen is that he’s a great cook––pizzelles in particular––and he grows vegetables for his dishes.
“He will be missed greatly by myself and the other members, but I’m confident he’s helped us find the right person to replace him,” said Moore.
Former Akron Bar Association President and current Ohio State Bar Association (OSBA) President Bill Chris said Nichols has been a real asset to the bar association and the legal community.
“I’ve known Allen for at least 10 years prior to his assuming his position with the bar association,” said Chris, managing partner at Roderick Linton Belfance. “Our kids went to school together and my son and one of his children played baseball together.
“He’s a thoughtful and intelligent person who can get along with a variety of personalities,” said Chris. “Everything he does is top shelf. I’m happy to have known him and extremely happy he was there during my term as president.”
While Nichols left an indelibly positive mark on the bar association, his role as executive director/CEO was actually part two in his lengthy career.
A native of Akron, he earned a bachelor’s degree in industrial management from The University of Akron.
“I chose my major because I knew I wanted to go to graduate school,” said Nichols. “I wanted to become a librarian and having worked at a public library while in high school I knew there were few people that had management degrees in the field.
“I wanted to have the skills to help me effectively compete in the market.”
Nichols began working at the Akron-Summit County Public Library in 1981 while attending Kenmore High School. He continued at the library for almost 10 years, serving in various capacities during the time he was there.
After receiving his master’s degree in library science from Kent State University in 1991, he joined the Rocky River Public Library as the young adult librarian, later being promoted to head of reference and young adult services.
From January 1996 to March 1997, he was the regional young adult services manager at the Cuyahoga County Public Library.
He then took on the role of director of the Wadsworth Public Library earning an MBA from Mississippi State University in 2004.
He retired from his position as director of the library in May 2013, embarking on his second career as executive director of the bar association the following month. His title was officially changed to CEO in 2024. He also served as CEO of the Akron Bar Foundation.
“When I decided to leave the library system, I was looking for an intellectually stimulating environment,” said Nichols. “I had been president of the Ohio Library Association so when the chance to lead the bar association came along I thought I could do it because I had been at the helm of an association as a volunteer.
“Initially my greatest challenge was getting control of the budget because the organization was continually operating at a deficit,” said Nichols. “I stabilized the budget and created a financially successful environment in which we were able to manage the expenses.”
When the Notary Public Modernization Act took effect in 2019, transferring control of the notary commissioning process from local court systems to the Ohio Secretary of State’s office, Nichols partnered with the Ohio State, Akron, Cleveland, Toledo, Dayton and Cincinnati bar associations to form Ohio Notary Services.
The organization provides education and testing to applicants seeking to become notaries.
Nichols served as the CEO/executive director of the corporation from April 2019 to October 2025.
“Allen and the Akron Bar took the lead with the OSBA to ensure the success of the corporation and he’s done a great job,” said Chris.
While the pandemic years proved challenging, Nichols said the bar association was able to quickly adapt to a virtual format, offering members the chance to attend meetings and complete their CLEs online.
While the same options continue to be available online, Nichols said in-person events have not only returned but remain critical to the organization’s success.
“I think the pandemic reinforced the importance of networking events,” said Nichols. “While some members may still attend meetings or complete their CLEs online, they understand the value of face-to-face interaction much more than before.”
Though there have been a number of hurdles since he started, Nichols said by far the greatest challenge has been maintaining the association’s relevance among the various generations.
“The bar association must continually prove its value to members, potential members and law students by demonstrating the many ways that it can help their career,” said Nichols.
“Creating a personal network of colleagues that a young attorney can use as mentors, sounding boards, advisers, etc. is critical to professional success as well as general well-being and mental health,” said Nichols. “We help our members create those networks.”
In addition to his leadership roles, Nichols was a part-time instructor for Kent State University’s School of Library and Information Science for about 30 years.
Nichols lives in Fairlawn with his wife Mary Anne, who retired as a senior lecturer from Kent State University at the end of August. They have two adult children.
Over the years, he’s made a point of giving back to the community, serving as athletic director/pastoral designee at St. Hilary Church, as well as its school board president and a parish council member.
He’s a former president of Northern Ohio Golf Charities Foundation and is the executive vice chairman of operations for the Kaulig Companies Championship, formerly known as the Bridgestone Senior Players Championship, a senior PGA tour event that takes place annually in Akron.
In addition, he is a regional governor for his college fraternity, Delta Tau Delta, where he works with chapter advisers and undergraduates. He was also a chapter adviser at John Carroll University.
Nichols said he is excited about the future, thanking the Akron Bar and its members for “a wonderful run. Tomorrow isn’t guaranteed, and Mary Anne and I have realized that spending time together and with our family is more important than anything else we could be doing right now, so that is what we plan to do.”