Members and Organization

Mr. Jacobs is a lifelong resident of North Ridgeville which is where he began and continues his career in healthcare. After marrying his wife, Veronica, they decided to remain in North Ridgeville to raise their family, which has grown to four sons and one daughter. Mr. Jacobs earned a BBA degree in Management from Kent State University through LCCC’s University Partnership, and an MBA degree in Healthcare Administration from Cleveland State University. He also studied to become a Licensed Nursing Home Administrator and is currently the Director of Ancillary Services at O’Neill Healthcare which is headquartered in North Ridgeville. Mr. Jacobs has been a longtime member of the Board of Directors of the North Ridgeville Chamber of Commerce, a member of the North Ridgeville Senior Center Advisory Board, a member of the North Ridgeville Tax Abatement Review Board, and a member of the North Ridgeville Planning Commission. 

Ms. Awig has been married to Donald for 49 years and they have two married children and 12 grandchildren. Ms. Awig graduated from Kent State University with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and has been a Registered Nurse for 50 years, working in teaching and administrative positions for many of those years. She has had a very successful Mary Kay business for the past 25 years and was winner of the 2022 North Ridgeville Business of the Year Award. Previously a member of the Board of Directors for their cluster and homeowners association, Ms. Awig is presently on the Board of Directors for the North Ridgeville Chamber of Commerce and Community Care and is a member of the Visitor’s Bureau and North Ridgeville Heart & Sole. She serves on the Lorain County Fair Housing Board and is a member of the Streets, Sidewalks & Bridges Committee, the Parks & Recreation Commission and the Board of Drainage & Flood Control. 

Mr. DeVries is a longtime resident of North Ridgeville. He and his wife, Stephanie, have three daughters. He is currently a Regional Manager at First Federal Lakewood and has over 23 years of banking experience working with small business owners. He graduated from North Ridgeville High School in 1990 and attended Heidelberg University. In 2012, he was inducted into the North Ridgeville Alumni Hall of Fame. Mr. DeVries is a member of the North Ridgeville Chamber of Commerce and former First Vice Chair and was recently awarded the Bright Star Award for Chamber member of the Year. He served on the Board of Zoning and Building Appeals for the City of North Ridgeville for four years and the North Ridgeville Charter Review Committee. He is currently the Chair of the Finance Committee and serves as a member on the Administrative Committee and Safety Committee. He is on the Board of Directors for the West Side Business Network, West Side Synergy and Northern Ohio Easter Seals. He is proud to serve the community he calls home.  

Ms. Swenk was appointed to Chair of the Safety Committee, member of Buildings & Lands Committee, Streets, Sidewalks & Bridges Committee, and Council Alternate Liaison to Planning Commission. Ms. Swenk is married to Christopher and they have four children and two grandsons. She and Christopher are very involved in the St. Peter's Church Cub Scout Pack 153 where Christopher serves as the Cub Master. Ms. Swenk is a North Ridgeville High School graduate of the class of 1997 and works as a Mortgage Loan Processor for a company located in North Ridgeville.

Mr. Shaffer has been a resident of Ohio his entire life and has been living in North Ridgeville since 2010. He is a veteran of the US Army. Mr. Shaffer possesses a Master's degree in Chemistry from Cleveland State University, a BA in Electrical Engineering from the Ohio State University and an MBA in Finance and Economics. He is a licensed Patent Attorney who practices in the Cleveland area. With his diverse experience and educational background, he is dedicated to making North Ridgeville and Ward 2 an even better place to live, work, and raise a family. Mr. Shaffer takes great pride in being an American and is an active member of Grace Church. Additionally, he is a member of the Cleveland Intellectual Property Law Association (CIPLA).

Mr. Abens is Chair of the Administrative Committee, Council Liaison to the Planning Commission, Building & Lands Committee member, Housing Council member, Finance Committee member, Safety Committee member and appointed President/Pro-Tem for three terms. Mr. Abens previously served as member of the Senior Citizens Advisory Board and Council Liaison for the Parks and Recreation Commission. Mr. Abens is a former BSA leader of 35 years. He retired from the modular construction industry from a locally based company, Sommer’s Mobile Leasing, Inc. He is a former Vice President of the Braemore Homeowners Association. Mr. Abens was previously employed by the City of Cleveland Human Resource and Economic Development Department administering a federal jobs program. He has been married for 50 years and has 3 sons, 2 daughters-in-law and 6 grandchildren. 

Mr. Winkel is a member of the Administrative Committee, Chair of Building & Lands Committee, member of the Utilities Committee and Council Liaison to the Board of Zoning & Building Appeals and appointed President/Pro-Tem. Mr. Winkel has lived in North Ridgeville Ward 4 for 19 years. He is married to Kathy and has three children.  He is currently the owner/operator of Wink Electric Inc., a North Ridgeville based company. He holds various electrical and fire alarm licenses with the State of Ohio. For the last 18 years, he has volunteered his time coaching the youth of our community.