Leadership
The Chardon Area Chamber of Commerce is led by the Executive Director and a Board of Directors. The Board meets monthly to review financials, discuss Chamber happenings, new developments, and vision for the Chamber, among other topics.
Executive Director
Melissa serves the Chardon Area Chamber of Commerce with more than 20 years of experience in event planning and administrative organization in fields such as higher education, and the architectural and construction industries.
Aligning herself with organizations that enhance their community, she highlights strategic planning and economic development as significant factors in her role as Executive Director of the Chamber. With a penchant for collaboration and pooling resources, Melissa works to bolster the business community by advocating for its growth and facilitating member needs.
Melissa holds an Associates of Business Management from Eastern Gateway Community College. She is an active member of the Chardon Square Association, having previously served as its secretary, and is a board member with Chardon Tomorrow. She lives in the Chardon area with her husband, daughter, two cats, and bees!
Board of Directors
Cathy Peters
PuroClean of the Western Reserve
Cathy is co-owner and business partner in PuroClean of Western Reserve, a property damage restoration franchise started in 2007.
She joined the business in 2014 after a fifteen-year marketing career in the insurance industry. She is President of the Chardon Chamber of Commerce and is a member of the Red Key Women in Business organization. Cathy is a Leadership Geauga graduate of the class of 2019. She and her husband raised their two daughters in Geauga County. She enjoys travel, golf and reading.
Cathy holds a bachelor’s degree in Biology and Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania, and an MBA in Financial Management from Kent State University. She is a licensed Property & Casualty insurance agent in the state of Ohio. She holds IICRC certifications in water, fire, and mold property restoration.
Cathy Peters
President
PuroClean of Western Reserve
Susan Parker
HomeSmart
Susan Parker, current CACC President-Elect, is the President of Artemis Property Ventures LLC and is a licensed Realtor with HomeSmart Real Estate Momentum. She is an experienced, full time residential real estate investor, flipper, agent and landlord. Her mission is to help her clients achieve their dreams using real estate to improve their lives. Susan is active within the Chardon and greater Geauga county community volunteering with a number of charities and is a Co-Founder and Board VP of Operation Horses and Heroes, a national 501c3 non-profit organization that serves military veterans. She also sits on the Board of Directors of Geauga NAMI. Susan is proud to have served in the USAF. Susan resides in Hambden Township at Artemis Acres along with her husband, menagerie of horses, dogs, goats, cats and chickens.
Susan Parker
President-Elect
Artemis Property Ventures
Erica Phillips
D&S Automotive Collision and Restyling
Erica Phillips is the Marketing and Employee Experience Manager for D&S Automotive and Defender Auto Glass where she directs the marketing and human resource strategies and efforts for the companies. She specializes in digital marketing, event planning, graphic design, and recruitment marketing.
D&S Automotive was founded in 1977 and has since grown to become a leader in Northeast Ohio collision repair and automobile restyling. Located in Mentor and Chardon, the company is one of the largest locally and family-owned multi-shop Collision Centers in Northeast Ohio. D&S Automotive’s experienced team and attention to detail has earned the company preferred status for many of the top insurance companies. In addition to auto body repair, D&S specializes in restyling Trucks and Jeeps through lift kits, wheels and tires, running boards, and more. D&S Automotive focuses on community involvement and providing unrivaled quality of service.
Erica serves on the Chardon Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, Lake Communicators Board of Directors and the Willoughby Western Lake County Chamber of Commerce Turkey Bowl and Brew Tour Committees. Erica has an MBA from Otterbein University and holds a bachelor of science with a double major in business administration and sport management from Heidelberg University.
Erica Phillips
Vice President of Fundraising
D&S Automotive
Julia Dolson
Shiffler Equipment
Julia Dolsen is the Business Manager for Shiffler Lighting Solutions (SLS), the turnkey lighting division under United for Growth, Inc. Under her leadership the division offers comprehensive lighting retrofit solutions including full investment-grade audits, financial analysis and proposals and professional installation by certified electricians. The company is trade ally in most state utility rebate programs throughout the country, offering additional financial benefits to her clients.
Julia also works closely with manufacturers and lighting suppliers to ensure the latest and best product offerings for her customers. With more than 16 years of lighting experience, including Marketing & Product Manager for an LED lighting manufacturer for 7 years, her product and industry knowledge ensures that SLS can offer a full range of quality lighting solutions. Using industry leading software tools Julia optimizes the right lighting design for her clients, which include educational institutions, municipalities as well as industrial and commercial facilities.
Julia was born and raised in Germany and came to the US in 1998 and moved to Chardon in 2012. She holds both a BBA and MBA from Cleveland State University and is LC certified through the National Council on Qualifications for Lighting Professions.
Julia lives with her husband and 2 kids in beautiful Hambden Township along with 2 dogs, a cat and a dozen chickens. Together they love exploring nature by hiking, biking and camping all around Geauga County and Ohio.
Julia Dolson
Vice President of Marketing
Shiffler Equipment Sakes, Inc
Debbie Tarr
Active Day
Debbie Tarr, who works at Active Day, has been a Job Developer for people with Developmental Disabilities and other disAbilities or barriers for 30 years. She covers Geauga, Lake and Ashtabula Counties. Debbie also know American Sign Language.
Debbie has been on the Chardon Chamber of Commerce for 4 years and has been the Vice President of Membership. Debbie enjoys helping with the Golf Outing, Car Show, Annual Dinner and other ways.
Debbie Tarr
Vice President of Membership
Vocational Guidance Services
Jim Dean
Farmers National Bank
Market President – Business Deposits and Services Manager
Jim Dean is currently the Market Preside for the Northern Region of Farmers National Bank. In addition, he is the Business Deposits and Services Manager for Farmers. Jim’s financial career spans over 35 years having served in various Treasury Management Leadership positions for other financial institutions. He also served as an Account Executive for Deluxe Corporation in the company’s Financial Technology Group. Jim is a graduate of John Carroll University (BSBA) and Baldwin Wallace University (MBA). He lives with his wife in Chesterland and has three grown children and four grandchildren.
Jim Dean, CTP
Board Member
Farmers National Bank
Kristine Frankenberry
Ravenwood Health
Kristine Frankenberry currently serves as the Development Director of Ravenwood Health, a mental health and addiction services agency providing support to children, adults and families. Officially a resident of Chardon since 2018, she has been driven to be an advocate for many of our local community offerings and is often seen out and about establishing and stewarding friendships. She is also a graduate of Leadership Geauga, Class of 2019 (BCE!). In her free time, she enjoys spending time travelling and at the campground with her family.
Kristine Frankenberry
Board Member
Ravenwood Health
Heather Means
American Cancer Society Discovery Shop
Heather Hudson Means is the Associate Director of the American Cancer Society Discovery Shops of the North Central Region. She serves on Chardon City Council and is a long standing member of the Chardon Square Association. Heather has been a Chardon resident since 2008.
Heather Hudson-Means
Board Member
American Cancer Society Discovery Shop
Beverly Johnson
Howard Hanna Real Estate Services
Beverly Johnson is a realtor with Howard Hanna Real Estate. Bev has lived and served in Geauga County for 40+ years and it is her privilege to serve this community. She provides professional service with honesty and integrity for her buyers and sellers. She treasures the friendships she is able to build with clients as she helps them to experience the America Dream.
Beverly Johnson
Board Member
Howard Hanna Real Estate Services
Ryan Kalcher
Alvord insurance
Ryan Kalcher has been involved in Customer Service Relations since 2008. Ryan’s obligation to help others is something that has always helped him strive to meet his goals. In 2020, he and his wife purchased the Alvord Insurance Agency in Chardon and it was just right, to build their own family business. He strives to build that personal connection with each and every customer and looks forward to using those skills to help Businesses in Chardon and the surrounding areas through the Chamber.
Ryan Kalcher
Board Member
Alvord Insurance
Judy Lasco
Geauga Public Library – Chardon Branch
Judy Lasco is the manager of Chardon Branch of Geauga County Public Library system. She has worked for GCPL for 17 years, working as a Children's Librarian at Middlefield and Chardon Branches, and in 2018 became the manager at Chardon Branch.
Growing up in the eastern suburbs of Cleveland, Judy moved with her husband to Claridon Township 25 years ago. They love the peacefulness and natural beauty of Geauga County. They have 3 children who graduated from the Berkshire School district.
Judy's is very invested in supporting the Chardon community by providing excellent library services to all residents of the county. She believes that the library is a community space open to all residents regardless of income, occupation, education, or political party. Judy is ready to help in any initiative that brings the community together for the betterment of us all.
Judy Lasco
Board Member
Chardon Public Library
Debbie Mack
Title Professionals Group, Ltd.
Debbie Mack has been in the Title Insurance Business for over 50 years working on the Chardon Square all of those 50 years. She is the Senior Escrow Closer for Title Professionals Group. She has built and maintained close relationships with her clients, attorneys, realtors, lenders and they know she will give it her all to make the transaction close smoothly. Debbie has been a long standing member of the Chardon Area Chamber of Commerce and she serves on the Board of Directors. She has been on numerous committees for the Chamber with her favorite being the Chardon Chamber Annual Car + Bike Show in which she was one of the founding members. Debbie is also on the Board for the Geauga County Revolving Load Committee and the Geauga County Community Improvement Corporation. Debbie in her free time enjoys riding her Harley Davidson Trike and attending car shows with her 1981 Smokey and the Bandit TransAm.
Debbie Mack
Board Member
Title Professionals Group, Ltd.
Marci Mondello-King
Marci’s Hair on the Square
Marci Mondello-King is the owner of Marci's Hair on the Square. In her 40 years of being a hair stylist and salon owner, her greatest achievement is to help people feel good about themselves. She swears by the old adage of "when you look good you feel good". This is what she strives for with every client that sits in her chair, from the day she opened her first salon in Euclid Ohio at age 18 until today where her salon currently is located on the historic Chardon Square for over 25 years.
It is also so important for her to graciously give back to the community that has embraced herself, her family, and her business for over three decades. Mentoring the younger generation especially in her industry has played such a major role in her life.
Marci is one of the longest sitting members of our current Board of directors. Previously the president of the local chapter of Business Networking International, she also served on Auburn Career Center's Cosmetology advisory board for years. Helping train young women from Cosmetology interns to Salon owners has been extremely rewarding.
She thoroughly enjoyed leadership roles in her community’s Church young women's groups along with joining Womensafe and Catholic Charities to provide services for women getting back into the workplace. She also feels blessed by being one of the original founders and Board of Directors of Bridges to Discovery which in part was able to purchase and locate a Transitional House for men in Chardon.
Joining with Geauga County Job and Family Services, she continues to organize the annual hair cutting event providing underprivileged children in Geauga County with haircuts before going back to school. Also, as part of trying to make people feel good about themselves, she accommodated professional hair services to inmates at the Geauga County Safety Center.
She is extremely passionate about her work and feels guilty calling it work because she loves her job so much!!
Marci Mondello-King
Board Member
Marci's Hair on the Square
Tonya Peto
Mimi Vanderhaven
Tonya Peto is an advertising and marketing professional with a passion for locally owned businesses in Northeast Ohio. Tonya’s strengths are building quick but lasting relationships that are beneficial for both parties by understanding what it is the customer needs, when they need it and why they need it.
Tonya Peto
Board Member
Mimi Vanderhaven
Jonathon Schneider
Board Member
Huntington Bank
Edward Slusarski
Regarding Your Systems, LLC.
Edward Slusarski goes by many names – Ed, Eddie, Slu, Starsky, etc., and will pretty much answer to them all. With his wife and two daughters, Slu moved to Chardon in 2018 from Lyndhurst, Ohio. Wanting land away from all of the hustle and bustle, Ed immediately discovered that the people are amazing while instantly falling in love with Chardon.
Ed started his own consulting business, Regarding Your Systems, LLC which helps businesses navigate the IT, data protection & privacy, cybersecurity risks, concerns and issues that all businesses face large and small.
Ed loves to give back to his community so he jumped right into that task by joining the Geauga West Rotary Club, Chardon Township Zoning Committee, Delivery of Meals to Seniors, Chardon Square Association, Chardon Chamber of Commerce and an outreach program to troubled youths through the Metzenbaum Foundation. He loves meeting new people and helping where he can, so please reach out if you need a volunteer!
Edward Slusarski
Board Member
Regarding Your Systems
Jim Tomsick
Board Member
Dickerson Dental
Edward Slusarski
City of Chardon
Steve has been the Community Development Administrator for the City of Chardon since November 2010. Steve is proud to be a member of the first “All-Redhawk” class to graduate from Miami University in 2003 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Urban & Regional Planning and Geography.
Steve has spent the past twenty-two years working in various levels of government and is one of the select few who can say they have worked for a statutory township, home-rule township, City and County in such a short period of time. He has been a Zoning Inspector, Planner, Senior Code Enforcement Officer, and Planning & Zoning Administrator.
Steve is proud to be a member of the Chardon Community and has served on several Boards and Commissions including Chardon Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors (President 2014-2015), Chardon Tomorrow Design Committee, City of Chardon Parks and Recreation Board Chardon Girls Softball League Board and the Free & Accepted Masons of Ohio.
Steve Yaney
Board Member
City of Chardon
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