Oberlin, Experience the Unexpected...
Main Street Oberlin Inc.
Who's Who at MSO
Dave Parsh
President
Biography: Dave is a Graduate of Columbia High School in eastern Lorain Co. and Kent State University w/ a B.A. in telecommunications.
He has owned and operated Dave's Army-Navy in downtown Oberlin since 1994 and is a resident of Oberlin. With three kids passing through the Oberlin schools, Dave has been fortunate enough to be active in the community by coaching baseball, softball and Langston football. He also manages an adult co-ed softball team and leads a town-gown musical band called the Soul Proprietors.
Dave, the current President, is serving as president for the second time and is a founding member of Main Street Oberlin Inc.
He is also the Main Street Design Committee Chair, which oversees downtown beautification projects like the flower baskets, tubs and banners programs.
In the past, Dave has served as a Junior Achievement Volunteer, the Merchants Association President, as well as on the Chamber of Commerce and Interagency boards.
E-Mail: daves@oberlin.net
Link: Dave's Army Navy
Marianne Cochrane
Vice-President
Biography: n/a
E-Mail: n/a
Link: n/a
Mark Bates
Treasurer
Biography: Mark R. Bates joined Oberlin College as Controller in June, 2002, and now serves as Oberlin's Associate Vice President for Finance. Mr. Bates, a Certified Public Accountant since 1984, began his career in the public accounting profession as an audit manager, specializing in non-profit work during his more than ten years with Arthur Andersen. Mr. Bates is quite active in the community, having served as a coach or assistant coach in many youth sports, including soccer and basketball. Mark is also active with the Youth Group at Westlake United Methodist Church, participating as a male chaperone on mission trips and other activities for the youth of the church. He currently is in his fourth year on the Board of Main Street Oberlin, Inc., serving as their Treasurer. Mr. Bates also serves on the Board of Oberlin Early Childhood Center, and is an advisory member of the Finance Committee of Oberlin Shansi. Recently, Mark has also served on the Finance Committee and Board of Directors of Elyria Country Club.
E-Mail: n/a
Link: n/a
Jeff Rubin
Secretary
Biography: Jeff Rubin, secretary of the board of Main Street Oberlin, is a freelance writer and lecturer. He's interested in the polar regions and periodically disappears for several weeks during the winter to guide tourists around Antarctica.
He has lived in Oberlin for three years, and became involved with Main Street Oberlin when he saw people like Dave Parsh and Barry Richard planting flowers in the planters along the downtown streets. He asked Barry if he could help, and - not surprisingly! - Barry said Yes.
Jeff loves downtown Oberlin's "real small town" feeling and the fact that just a few months after he moved to town, many of the shopkeepers and business owners were able to greet him by name. Jeff really dislikes chain stores and hates having to drive somewhere to shop - fortunately, downtown Oberlin's combination of practical shops (food, books, housewares, clothing, flowers, hardware, newsstand) and artistic galleries can usually meet his needs!
Jeff and his wife Stephanie Wiles, director of the Allen Memorial Art Museum at Oberlin College, and their two daughters like eating at the restaurants downtown and also enjoy picnicking on Tappan Square, in all seasons, the girls sometimes arriving by parent-drawn sled. The family brings all out-of-town visitors downtown, preferably by bike or on foot.
Tappan Square's Friday night summer concerts are another family favorite, and there they often meet Jeff's cousin Tim and his wife Judy, who come out from Rocky River to enjoy the music. Another treat is visiting the historic Apollo Theatre for a movie on a really big screen!
Jeff hopes Oberlin can soon attract a first-rate Thai restaurant to join the downtown dining scene.
E-Mail: email@email.net
Link: n/a
Ruth Ashchaffenburg
Biography: Ruth Aschaffenburg was born in Oberlin, attended the Oberlin Public Schools, and went to The Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington, eventually graduating from Oberlin College. She has two daughters, Taya and Silvija Koschnick who were raised working at Bead Paradise. This is her 20th year as a merchant in Downtown Oberlin, and she is the proud owner of her building. Ruth is very involved and invested in the vitality of Oberlin's downtown, and hopes to remain so for many years to come. She and her husband, Ebrima Sillah share their love for the bead business, and are well known throughout the international bead community. Their trips to West Africa enrich their lives, and that in turn creates an international feel within the store! Bead Paradise has a loyal clientelle who generally travel one or two hours in order to enjoy her unusual selection of old and rare beads, as well as a full variety of new beads and components. Ruth's most recent project is launching a new shopping cart website which will feature the rare beads in the store.
E-Mail: beadparadise@oberlin.net
Link: Bead Paradise, Bead Pardise (Shop Oberlin)
Malcolm Fowler
Biography: n/a
E-Mail: herrickjewelry@gmail.com
Link: n/a
Krista Long
Biography: n/a
E-Mail: n/a
Link: Ben Franklin's/Mindfair Books (Shop Oberlin)
Tita Reed
Biography: n/a
E-Mail: n/a
Link: n/a
Katie Solender
Biography: Katie Solender (Board member since 2004) is a graduate of Oberlin College ('77) and the Johns Hopkins University (M.A. '78). She joined the staff of the Cleveland Museum of Art in 1978, first in the Education Department and from 1995 served as Exhibitions Manager and then Director of the Exhibitions. She also organized several exhibitions for the Cleveland Museum and was adjunct professor of art history at Case Western Reserve University. Since leaving the CMA in 2001 she has been a consultant, writer, and editor. She was a member of Oberlin College's most recent Capital Campaign Steering Committee, and from February 2003-July 2004 was the acting director of the Allen Memorial Art Museum. She has continued her work with the museum as an administrative consultant and sits on the museum's Visiting Committee. In addition to the Main Street Oberlin board, Katie serves on the boards of Young Audiences of Northeast Ohio, and the Intermuseum Conservation Association. And although she lives in Cleveland Heights, Katie loves spending time in Oberlin and, through Main Street, working to sustain and promote its vibrant downtown.
E-Mail: n/a
Link: n/a
Liz Burgess
Biography: n/a
E-Mail: n/a
Link: The Ginko Gallery
Christina Nichols
Executive Director
Biography: n/a
E-Mail: oberlinmainst@oberlin.net
Link: www.oberlin.org