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Board of Directors

Warren Gard                   President
Marketing Committee Chair
Term 2013-2015

 Warren Gard has an extensive history of serving the Grove City community in various positions. He is a 20-year member and past president of the Grove City Area Chamber of Commerce, a 10-year member and past president of the Grove City Area Visitors and Convention Bureau and has served on the city’s planning commission.

 

A business owner, Gard is president of Merymar Enterprises. He is current member of the Rotary Club of Grove City and the National Federation of Independent Business. He believes that support for the local business base is vital and encourages providing incentives to new to new businesses that locate to Grove City and provide good wages to potential employees in the community.

 

Rebecca Sommer
 Design Committee Co Chair                 
Term 2012 – 2014

 Rebecca Sommer, GCTC Inc. Board of Trustees 2005-2007 and 2009-2011. She has been involved with the business of the Town Center since the early 1990’s when she was an employee of the Tree House Gallery and would attend meetings of the Town Center Merchants, a committee of the Grove City Area Chamber of Commerce. When she became the owner of Sommer House Gallery in 1994, her TCM involvement grew through taking turns with other merchants in holding the office of chairperson of the TCM Committee, and in promoting the endeavors of the committee. When it was decided to disband the TCM Committee and reorganize efforts as the Grove City Town Center, Sommer House Gallery invested financially in 2004 to become one of the fifteen GCTC Founding Members. With that commitment to strengthen and grow the Town Center, her support of the GCTC has continued by being on the Board of Trustees, serving terms as president in 2006, secretary in 2007, and being on collaborates committees. As the GCTC collaborates with additional community organizations, Rebecca looks forward to working on ways to involve the Grove City Arts Council with the future excitement and development of the Grove City Town Center.

Karen Dover – Baker
 Business Enhancement Committee Chair
Term 2012 – 2013

 Karen Dover is the Chief Financial Officer of Crosslink Management Services and owner of Mill Street Market. Prior to opening her TC businesses, Ms. Dover was the Corporate Vice President of Finance for Sterling Commerce. Her work experience has spanned the high-tech software industry, the retail management industry and the commercial and residential real estate renovation and management industries. Karen is a lifelong resident of Grove City where she lives with her husband Neil Baker; they have four boys, Ben, Brian, Christopher and Alex. Karen is a graduate of Grove City High School and Franklin University with a B.S. in Finance.

 

Rachael Carl                        Treasurer
Term 2011-2013

    

Dennise Hunt
Marketing and Operations Committee
Term  2012-2014

Dennise Hunt is an Ohio native and has resided in Grove City since 1992. A graduate of Otterbein College (now University), where she served as editor of the college newspaper, and Capital University Law School’s paralegal program. She presently is Vice President of the Grove City Arts Council, active in her church’s choir and serving a three year term on the board of Town Center, Inc.

Her background also includes 20 years of serving as Marketing Manager and Director of Marketing in healthcare finance. She has also been involved with local and national historical societies over the years. Additionally, Denise is a sketch artist, photographer and occasional oil painter. Her photography won Best of Show at the 2010 Arts in the Alley photography exhibit.

Sandy Nekoloff
Term 2011-2013

Sandy Nekoloff is the Executive Director of Communications and Community Relations for the South-Western City School District. She is the immediate past president of the Ohio PTA, serving on its Board of Directors, and also serving on the National Term 2011 PTA Field Service Committee. Sandy is a nationally trained parent engagement presenter, having worked with parent groups across the country. She also serves on multiple statewide education-related committees.

Sandy is a member of the Ohio National School Public Relations Association Board of Directors and is a member of the National School Public Relations Association, Buckeye Association of School Administrators and Ohio Association of School Business Officials.

Sandy and her husband Mike live in Grove City and have two children, J.J. and Nikki. Sandy is a graduate of Valparaiso University with a B.S. in Biology and Chemistry.

                             

Melba Hompertz                     Vice President

Operations Committee Chair
Term 2013-2015

Melba Hompertz retired as a Financial Planner after 25 years in the financial industry. She graduated from Layala University in Chicago. Since arriving in Ohio in January of 2009 she has been involved in the Stewardship Committee of the Our Lady of Perpetual Help parish, a historian for the Women’s Civic Club of Grove City and Board Member of the Friends of the Library.
Bev Babbert                        Secretary

Design Committee Co Chair
Term 2012-2014

Beverly Babbert has lived in Grove City since 1963 and completed all her schooling in the South-Western City Schools, graduating from Grove City High School. Bev holds a BS in Education as well as an MA in Educational Administration from The Ohio State University. For thirty-one years she was an employee of the South-Western City Schools as a teacher and Staff Development and Curriculum Specialist.

In 1976, Bev married Barry Babbert and together they raised two daughters, Jessica and Blair, until Barry’s death in 1999. For twelve years they were also co-owners of Toast of the Town custom catering based in Grove City. Currently, Bev is an independent jeweler with Premier Designs, Inc. Bev is a member of the First Baptist Church of Grove City where she serves in the Music and Women’s Ministries. She is also a member of Delta Kappa Gamma, a sorority for educators.

Since her retirement from the school system in 2009, Bev has stayed busy traveling and participating in short-term mission work all over the world. You can also find her volunteering around Grove City for the Southwest Franklin County Historical Society, usually at the Grove City Museum and Century Village. As a volunteer for the Columbus Association for the Performing Arts, she can often be found in one of the theaters in downtown Columbus. Bev sits on the Franklin County Republican Central Committee and holds an office with the Grove City Area Republican Club. Bev also is a part of Grove City Tomorrow and sings in the Mendelssohn Liedertafel, a German singing society that performs in concert, sings for special events and has toured in Europe.

Much of her time is spent with her five grandchildren playing, cooking and attending sporting events. Now, as a member of the Town Center Board, Bev hopes to give back in more and different ways to the community she loves and lend her perspective in discussions and planning.
Theresa Jester “TJ”
Term 2013-2015

 

I am a current and active volunteer for the town center. I take pride in our community and the history that the downtown area represents. The downtown of our community is our core and I want to see it remain historic and meaningful to all residents of Grove City.

I have lived in Grove City my entire life and I am a former small business owner in the town center

(Court Jester Gifts). It was located next to Sommer House Gallery in the late 1980’s. I also worked many a Saturday with my dear friends who owned the Cake Box that started in a house on Grove City Road where the city building now stands.  I watched this small business owner start up in the town center location and relocate to Stringtown n Road as the business grew and needed more square footage to handle the business.

My prior experience in promoting small businesses involves:

The Worthington Craft Guild setting up a boutique in the Worthington Square Mall. They started as a three time a year special event at the mall and I worked with them to set up a boutique as a full time business in the mall. They continue as a profitable tenant at this location.

Simple Bath started out just displaying their merchandise at the mall. I worked with them to find the right location and set up a showroom within the mall. There business was very successful in this location and has since moved to a larger location.

Developed a Specialty Leasing program for the mall seeking small business owners to set up short term leases to “try out” their business plan without a long term commitment. This worked very well so that it did not involve a long term lease for a new concept. It allowed the business owner to “get their feet wet”.

I am committed to the time expectations to serve on the Board of Trustees and would be honored to serve our community in this capacity .

 

Andrew Furr                                                         Executive Director

andy@grovecitytowncenter.org