Connections MADE: Meet & Eat

Description

Connections MADE: Meet & Eat is a popular Mason Deerfield Chamber networking event that provides:

• Lunch from a rotating member restaurant or venue.
• An opportunity to connect with members to expand your personal and professional networks.
• An opportunity to make a brief introduction of yourself and your business to the group.

About January's Event

January's featured speakers are each 2022 Gems of Excellence award winners, including: David Charpentier from Conscious Dynamics, Meredith Raffel from The Arts Alliance, and Greg Sears from Kings Local Schools.

Featured Speakers

David Charpentier, Conscious Dynamics

David Charpentier has a passion for helping people lead successful and fulfilled lives. David believes the greater the understanding of self, the more success a person has leading, being part of a group and thriving in relationships at work and home. David brings a wealth of experience to his work as a certified Executive Life Coach and Enneagram teacher and trainer in the narrative tradition.
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David’s unique background inspires his results-oriented, passionate, approach. With a BA in History and Secondary Education and a minor in Military Science, David pursued a career in the United States Army where he served for six years on active duty as a Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Officer. David held leadership roles both as a subject matter expert advising senior leaders and leading large and diverse teams. He is a graduate of the US Army Ranger School, the Army’s Elite Light Infantry Training course. David went on to transition successfully into Corporate America where he worked in sales and operations for Fortune 500 companies – selling, implementing and managing multi-million-dollar deals. This unique ability to understand a customer’s needs and motivations and his specialty in helping sales teams unlock their potential drove David’s success.
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David resides in Deerfield Township with his wife Susan and their four children. David is the Past Commander of Joe Barr American Legion Post 194. He volunteered on the committee to build the Veterans Park in Deerfield Township, is the President of the Mason Touchdown Club, serves on the Mason City Schools Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council and District Safety Committee. He is a Lead on MADE CDC Mason Mile Project and serves on the MADE Chamber Government Executive Committee.
 

Meredith Raffel, The Arts Alliance

Meredith Raffel is the founder/executive director of The Arts Alliance, a community arts council serving Southwest Ohio.
 
Created to build a more cohesive community through the arts, Meredith saw a need and a void in Warren County, Ohio as it pertained to the arts and cultural programming in the region. Meredith enlisted a group of dedicated individuals who worked to build an organization that has served this growing and diverse community through quality arts programming. Founded in 2006, The Arts Alliance has presented programming to thousands of community members near and far.
 
“Leadership doesn’t always need to look like a boastful and powerful person. I wouldn’t classify myself as “great” leader, but I know what I do possess is a great vision and the ability to bring great people to the table. Knowing yourself and being honest with yourself is truly the key to any successful outcome. I know my strengths and my weaknesses. My ego has never gotten in the way of my vision, because I’m driven more by humility. Credit and success are nothing if built all alone.”
 
Under Meredith’s vision, The Arts Alliance has been built on the idea that “we are better together”, meaning collaborations and partnerships are the cornerstone of the organization. These partnering building blocks serve to strengthen relationships, not only through the arts, but also to build this region as an arts destination.
 
Meredith has built strong relationships with local businesses, organizations, and a unique foundational friendship and working relationship with the municipality of Deerfield Township. The Arts Alliance was named Small New Organization of the Year by the Warren County Foundation and was nominated for the Governor’s Award through the Ohio Arts Council.
 
Meredith has taken what was once an idea to create a valued and successful organization that features arts festivals, performing arts concerts, arts workshops, and summer art camps that have served to enhance the lives of the community.
 
Meredith holds a Bachelor of Science Degree from the EW Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University (Broadcast News Sequence). Prior to founding The Arts Alliance, Meredith has worked in television production for Sport Time Productions and Redna (P&G) Productions. Promotions for WXIX-TV, Research and Development for David Kallaher Productions, Sales and Marketing for Sound Images. Meredith has continually written in a freelance capacity and currently is writing content for the Deerfield Township portion of CenterPoint Magazine. Meredith also oversees various client’s social media platforms.
 
Meredith has served on countless committees during her tenure as executive director of The Arts Alliance, including the Marketing Committee of the Warren County Imagination Library. Meredith is an avid photographer. In her spare time, she enjoys cooking, gardening and yearly solo journeys. Meredith is the mother of three boys and lives in Mason with her husband Tim and their two Portuguese Water Dogs, Bondi and Blue.
 

Greg Sears, Kings Local Schools

Currently, beginning my second year as the proud Superintendent of the Kings Local School District.  Prior to Kings, I served as the Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning in the Forest Hills Local School District for three years. I served as the Intermediate Campus Principal in the Mason City School District for ten years, as well as an assistant principal and assistant athletic director at Mason. I began my teaching career as a Biology teacher with Mason City Schools.  My wife, Alison, is a current 8th grade Science teacher at Mason Middle School.  We have three daughters, Natalie, 20, currently attending THE Ohio State University. Libby, 17, a senior at Mason, and Emily, 12, a 7th grade student at Mason Middle School. We reside in Mason.