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| BOARD MEMBER PROFILES |
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Steve Peotter
President
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Steve Peotter is Vice President of Business Banking for Oak Bank, Fitchburg. He has been in the banking and financial services industry for over 15 years, and has a Bachelor Degree in Marketing and Management from the UW-Madison School of Business. Steve is actively involved in his community on both a personal and professional level:
-Member of Village of Oregon Community Development Authority - Appointed Chair 2008
- Member of Village of Oregon Historic Preservation Commission
- Member of Village of Oregon Strategic Planning Committee
- Board Member Easter Seals Wisconsin
Steve feels the Oregon chamber is fortunate to have engaged, supportive members from a diverse cross section of our community. He finds that it is very common to attend a chamber event where all aspects of the community are represented - the business community, public schools, village government, and other interested Oregon individuals. Steve feels this truly represents the quality of our community and the Chamber.
Originally from Appleton, Steve has been an Oregon resident since 2005. His wife Kelly grew up in Oregon and her parents still live in the house she grew up in. He has three children - two daughters and a son. |
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Brett Davis
Immediate Past President
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State Representative Brett Davis is a 1994 graduate of Monroe High School. He went on to earn a B.A. in business marketing from UW-Oshkosh in 1999. Along with their sons Will and Sam, and daughter Audrey, Brett and his wife Amy reside in the Town of Oregon.
Brett has been actively involved in public service, notably as a former legislative aide to State Rep. Mike Powers, the chief of staff to State Sen. Joe Leibham, and as a Special Assistant to former Governor and U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson.
Currently, Brett is the Chairman of the Assembly Education Committee, and also serves on the Assembly Transportation, Energy & Utilities, and Consumer Protection & Personal Privacy (Vice-Chair) Committees.
Brett is actively involved in communities throughout south-central Wisconsin, and is a member of the Oregon Area Chamber of Commerce (Board of Directors), the Oregon-Brooklyn Lion's Club, Riverfront Rock Community Advisory Board, Monroe Noon Optimists, Monroe Kiwanis and Green County Conservation League.
Brett has served as our State Representative for the 80th Assembly District, which covers parts of Rock, Dane, Lafayette and all of Green County since first being sworn into office on January 3, 2005.
Brett was interested in serving on the Chamber board because of the positive impact the Chamber can have on its members. There are many committed, professional people among the membership, on the board, and staff that want to do the little things to make our members successful. The personal touch and level of service you see at the Oregon Chamber doesn't exist in every community.
Brett invites all members to come up with three ways the Chamber can add value for your business or organization and to contact him at Brett.Davis@charter.net or 608-345-8576. |
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Barb Mulcahy
Vice President
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As a Vice President of Business Banking for the State Bank of Cross Plains in Oregon, Barb is excited to be an active part of the Oregon Chamber and the Oregon Community. Barb graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Platteville in 1999 with a major in Economics and an emphasis in Business Administration. Barb has over 11 years of commercial banking experience, 9 of which have been here in Dane county.
Barb feels that the Oregon Chamber is unique in that it is alive and growing, with unmatched enthusiasm among staff, board and members. She also believes the willingness of the membership to get involved and volunteer is remarkable. Everyone seems to be in agreement that positive change will occur when people get involved.
In addition to her Board position with the Chamber, Barb is member of the Sauk Trails Optimist Club and is on the Board of Little Pilgrims Christian Learning Center. She is also on the Advisory Committee of the Wisconsin Bankers Association Women in Banking Conference. In her free time, Barb enjoys spending time with her family, playing volleyball and entertaining friends. Barb and her husband Tim live on the west side of Madison near Verona with their young son Kellen. |
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Erin Kaether
Secretary
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Erin Kaether is the Owner and Director of Academy of Sound, LLC. She manages the school and it's staff, and teaches piano to both English and Spanish-speaking students.
Erin is a 1999 graduate of Oregon High School and earned her piano teacher certification from Mayron Cole Conservatory in 2006. She began teaching in 1997, at the direction of her own piano teacher. After high school, Erin went on to become a translator for the Wisconsin Telecommunications Relay System. There, she perfected her Spanish, learned ASL, worked with speech disabled callers, worked as a supervisor's aide, and finally as a training facilitator. All the while, she maintained a handful of piano students. In 2003, Erin opened Erin's Piano Studio. Her studio grew quickly, and in 2007 had clearly outgrown it's name. This is when Academy of Sound, LLC came into being; An all-encompassing music & drama school, with a variety of teachers, classes, performance and competition opportunities.
In addition to her work as a musician and businesswoman, Erin also volunteers as a Crisis Pregnancy Counselor for Care Net of Dane County. At Care Net, Erin helps women and couples as they explore all their options and make a decision about their pregnancy. Beyond her work in the pregnancy center, Erin is a public speaker and has shared the story of her own crisis pregnancy with audiences numbering in the thousands. Erin also models for materials and website promotions for Care Net.
Erin has two children, and has homeschooled them both at different times. Erin's hobbies include travel, learning to play as many instruments as possible, dancing and speaking Spanish.
One goal Erin has for the Chamber is to continue making full use of social media to promote businesses and events in the Oregon area. Erin feels, as a representative of the performing arts community, and through her experience as a business owner, musician and teacher, that she brings additional diversity to the Chamber board.
www.erinkaether.com |
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David Mastos
Treasurer
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David L. Mastos, Registered Representative & Financial Adviser, is the owner of DLM Financial Solutions, an independent insurance and financial services firm. Unlike other financial advisers, he believes that instead of being more aggressive and taking more risk, it is safer to increase your returns by reducing taxes and other unnecessary expenses.
Dave is a longtime member and past Director of the Madison Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors. His professional credentials include the LUTCF designation (Life Underwriter's Training Council Fellow).
Dave's interest in becoming an OACC board member stems from his belief that it is important to be involved in the community. He feels the Chamber is great because businesses have the ability to use the chamber as an advertising vehicle. For the relatively low cost of membership, there is nowhere else businesses can go to get the degree of exposure available to them through the Chamber. Dave encourages all members to consider ways in which to use Chamber opportunities to heighten their visibility. You get a big bang for your buck.
Dave has lived in the Oregon area for twenty five years, currently in Raven Oaks with his wonderful wife Myra, son Dimitri and stepson Jarid. Dave believes that it is crucial for people to be involved in their community in order to maintain and improve the quality of life. Area residents need to support local business and in turn local business needs to support the community. |
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Jerod Bennett
Director
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Jerod Bennett is a realtor with Keller Williams Realty. He holds a Bachelors Degree in Computer Science, as well as a Real Estate Broker license for the state of WI. He has worked as a realtor for over five years. In addition to his Chamber involvement, Jerod is involved with the Wisconsin Realtors Association, the Realtors Assoc. of South Central WI, and the National Association of Realtors.
When Jerod first moved to Oregon, he quickly realized that he wanted to spend most of his time here in Oregon, rather than always driving to Madison. Jerod's children attend Netherwood Knoll, take swimming lessons at the pool, and use the library weekly.
Jerod sees the Oregon Chamber as a great resource to area businesses. One aspect he would like to address as a Chamber of Commerce member is creating more family friendly activities and businesses. He feels this will keep the village appealing to current residents and help attract new ones. Jerod would like to see the chamber focus on growing the community through economic development.
Jerod has been married to his wife, Sarah, for 10 years. They have two children--Oscar and Andrea. In his free time, Jerod enjoys hunting, fishing, camping, spending time up North, coaching Oregon basketball, and real estate investing. |
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Erika Weidler
Director
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Erika Weidler owns, along with her husband, the Firefly Coffeehouse. Erika has previous board experience with WYOU of Madison and Verona Jaycees. She was also Chairperson of Training and Arrangements for the Junior League of Madison.
Erika sees the Oregon Chamber as the voice of its business members. She would like to continue to develop communication between the Village Board, Town Board, various other community organizations and area residents. She feels the Chamber should continue to promote local businesses to help them become vital and ever present in the community. Oregon is a fabulous place to be and it keeps getting better and better. Erika's excited to be a part of it.
Erika thinks that the chamber is great for the residents of Oregon because of the events put on that bring the community together. She also thinks that the chamber is great for the business owners to be able to network and receive valuable information via membership meetings and weekly emails.
In her spare time, Erika enjoys gardening, traveling, and spending time with friends and family, including husband Mike and daughter Meleana, as well as the family dog. |
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Jason Johns
Director
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Jason has served on the Chamber Board since 2007. He is the president and owner of Wisconsin Legislative Strategies, Inc., a government relations firm located on Capitol Square in downtown Madison. He is a licensed attorney in New York with experience in both legal and political arenas specializing in lobbying for his clients' interests in the Wisconsin State Legislature.
His education and experience includes a Juris Doctorate with a certificate in international law from Hamline University School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts in History from the University of Northern Iowa. After law school Jason practiced law in Washington, D.C. prior to working on a gubernatorial & Congressional campaign and as a legislative aide in the State Capitol.
Jason and his wife Carin have lived in Oregon since 2005. They have two twin girls, Abby & Ellie who are 1 year old. The proud parents are excited about being able to raise them in the wonderful community of Oregon.
In addition to his work with the Chamber, Jason sits on the Village of Oregon Zoning Appeals Board, and the Outreach & Planning committee. He is also the immediate past commander of VFW Post 10272 Oregon/Brooklyn/McFarland. (Iraq War) and the 2008 Chamber President.
Jason is quite the sportsman--In his spare time he engages in outdoor activities such as boating, fishing, and hunting, He also enjoys golfing, bowling, softball and playing rugby. You may see Jason on his Harley Davidson cruising anywhere and everywhere because as he says, "Everyday is a good day to ride."
Jason is looking to help the economic development of Oregon because "When our businesses are successful everyone benefits." |
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Judy Knutson
Director
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Judy Knutson is Vice President of the Oregon Community Bank and Trust. She has been in the banking business for over 25 years. She has worked in both a larger bank and community bank environments, and finds that she really enjoys the feel of a community bank with the friendliness and hometown atmosphere. Judy has been involved with the Chamber for quite some time, especially helping organize the Annual Dinner every year. She hopes to help expand the positive attitude, increasing membership and heightened business involvement at the Chamber, which in turn benefits everyone in the community.
She is married to Dave Knutson. They have two daughters: Jennifer, who lives here in Oregon, and Michelle, who is now living in Madison after returning from time in the Peace Corps. In her personal time, Judy loves family life with travel and fun. |
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Jeff McCarthy
Director
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Jeff McCarthy is Strategic Account Manager at Alliant Energy Corporation. Jeff promotes energy conservation services, energy efficiency technologies and renewable energy through his work at Alliant, acting as a consultant liaison between Alliant Energy and served communities and customers.
Jeff has been a member of the Oregon Area Chamber of Commerce for the past fourteen years. He looks forward to serving the Oregon chamber in this new leadership role, noting the high-quality work that the chamber has done in recent years, compared to other similarly-sized chambers in other communities that he has been involved with. At his first board meeting, he mentioned how impressed he was with the meeting materials he received, which showed a high level of professionalism by staff and the board.
Serving on the chamber Board helps fulfill his desire to serve the customers and communities where he works and lives. He feels a commitment to establish relationships, both business and personal, that make for strong community. Jeff also maintains memberships in the Chambers of Commerce in Cottage Grove, DeForest, McFarland and Stoughton.
Jeff lives in Oregon with his wife of 30 years, Mary. They have three children, the youngest of which is currently a junior at Oregon High School. In his free time, Jeff enjoys climbing, skiing, backpacking, mountain biking and listening to music. |
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