Erin Dickerson’s Prayer
“The way you get meaning into your life is to devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you, and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning.” – Mitch Albom
Loving God, we gather today as a community of Optimists devoted to giving of ourselves in service to others, to advance the well-being of humankind, our community, and the world. Guide us, Lord, to see where we can use our varied talents to serve Your will in the world, so we can leave it in a better place than we found it. Amen.
Get to Know Sam Pfabe
President Sarah Umbreit interviewed Sam Pfabe for this week’s “Get to Know a Member.”
- Asked how he found out about Centerville Noon Optimist, Sam said Tom Jumer was his neighbor. He helped Tom with the flags one time and was sold.
- Asked which of the club’s offerings he would take part in if he were a young child growing up in our community today, Sam said definitely Tri-Star Basketball and Tri-Star Soccer. He is the co-chair of Tri-Star Soccer, so he may be a little biased.
- Asked what makes him stop and say “where has the time gone,” Sam recalled that the wife of one of his college friends asked everyone to recount an experience from their college days. Just remembering one was the hard part.
Sam Pfabe joined CNO on June 17, 2015, sponsored by Tom Jumer, the same neighbor who got him started.
Happy Birthday Paul Stull
Paul Stull’s birthday fell on the day of the meeting. Paul is both the oldest member of the club and the member with the most longevity, having joined CNO in January 1970, 56 years ago, sponsored by Ron Hetman. Paul had a special request: that Jim Mogan lead the singing. Jim must not have spent much time preparing, because the singing was as terrible as usual, possibly a little worse. Maybe Bob Duffy is not so bad after all. Then again, Bob could also use at least some training. Perhaps it is time to hold auditions, or simply let a smartphone do the singing. Happy birthday, Paul!
Announcements
Putt-Putt and Pizza Club Social
Connie Risch announced that the next club social will be Putt-Putt and Pizza on Sunday, August 23, 2026, at 4:00 PM at Magic Castle just off Wilmington Pike. The cost is $8 per person, and you must pay online when you sign up. Afterward, around 6:00 PM, the group will move to LaRosa’s, where the club has the Buddy Room; the meal is on your own, and members who cannot make the putt-putt are welcome to join for the meal. Please sign up using the Member Calendar.
CNO 2.0 at North Sea Brewing
Connie Risch announced that the next CNO 2.0 evening meeting will be on Thursday, August 20, 2026, at 5:30 PM at North Sea Brewing (formerly Bock Family Brewing), 8150 Washington Village Drive, Centerville. Do not be fooled when you pull in: the Bock sign is still up while the new one is on its way. Tammy Obereck will be the speaker that evening. Please come, and bring friends and guests.
Speaker Committee for Greg Wasmund’s Year
Debe Dockins announced that she will Chair the Speaker Committee for Greg Wasmund’s year as President. She is looking for members interested in helping arrange speakers beginning October 1, 2026. If you are interested, please contact Debe.
Drinks Needed for Next Week’s Picnic
Debe Dockins reminded members that next week’s meeting is the annual picnic on Tuesday (8/18/26) in the A-frame at the RecPlex. Connie Risch has water and Gatorade that need to get there; if you have a vehicle and can pick up the drinks and bring them over, please contact Debe.
Ohio District Convention and a New Lieutenant Governor
President Sarah Umbreit recapped the Ohio District Convention held Saturday (8/8/26) in Dublin, outside Columbus. Andy Higgins stepped up to serve as Lieutenant Governor of Zone 7 for the coming year, a commitment that includes at least four more district conferences, and the club thanked and congratulated him. CNO was also recognized at the convention as a major contributor to the Optimist International Foundation and for bringing in seven new members in the month of July.
Sarah then handed out pins from the Optimist International Foundation. Debe Dockins received her Benefactor pin for giving at least $1000 to the Foundation. Dime-a-Day pins, for members who give $36.50 a year, went to Wayne Christie, Ron Tinnerman, Sue Brubaker, Mike Brubaker, Greg Griffin, Bob Lawson, and Brandon Barrett, who the club finally got to see in person because he was this week’s speaker.
The Heart Behind the Heart of Centerville & Washington Township
Mike Bevis introduced Brandon Barrett, Vice President of the Heart of Centerville & Washington Township and owner of By the Blade Salon in Centerville. Brandon has been a CNO member since 2019 and is a great volunteer and sponsor of the golf outing, where he earned the nickname Iceman for hauling ice in Mike’s truck. Mike confessed that the only way to get Brandon to come to lunch was to make him the speaker. Two tables of Heart Board members and Coordinators came along in support, including CNO members Jesse Gaither, Jane Fiehrer, and Augustina DeLeon.
Brandon opened with the Heart’s mission: “Shop, eat, drink, invest, and support local.”
Planting the Seeds
The Heart of Centerville started in 2003 with Debbie Deardoff, who owned Joli Boutique in Uptown Centerville, in the building that is now Felicity. Traveling to Europe a few times a year for the newest fashions, Debbie wondered why she could not bring a little of Europe back to Centerville, Ohio. She organized fellow uptown business owners to pool their resources, build community, and encourage shopping local. Debbie was at Tuesday’s lunch, and when Brandon asked whether today’s Heart matches the vision she had back then, she said it has become exactly that and more. The Heart will turn 25 in 2028.
Growing the Vision
The early years brought Sip and Shops, Third Fridays, the Taste of Centerville, and the Hometown Holiday Walk, a collaboration with the City of Centerville and Centerville-Washington History. Party in the Park started at the Normandy Shopping Center, made a stop at Cross Pointe, and eventually settled at Stubbs Park. Patrick Beckel served as the Heart’s first President from 2012 to 2014, and the organization was formally established in 2014. Kathy Jablinski (2015–2017) took the Heart to the next level: the first bylaws were written, elections began, and the organization was registered with the state. Emily Tith (2018–2019) was president when Brandon joined in 2018 after attending a few coffee meetings at Panera Bread. He worried that his business was too small to be taken seriously; instead he was welcomed with open arms and found a family of people genuinely invested in his success.
2020: Everything Stopped
Then 2020 happened. The Heart fell to 20 registered members from about 100 before the pandemic, there was very little in the checking account, and the year’s events could not be held. The club met when it could and tried virtual gatherings to strategize for the following year. A few members left their dues in the account so there would be something to grow from, while the Heart offered refunds to anyone who needed them.
Building Back Together
In 2021 the events returned, including the Hometown Holiday Walk, where Brandon first met Jessica Olson and her family. The board expanded to ten, the bylaws were rewritten, and Jessica became Director of Marketing, getting the Heart noticed far and wide; her content had drawn 2.2 million views as of 2025. Chris Wysong (2020–2022) was president when Brandon joined the board as Secretary and helped digitize old processes so a growing organization could keep track of its members and its money. Jesse Gaither (2023–2024), also a CNO member, followed as President; Brandon joked that Jesse’s sayings could fuel a drinking game: “volunteerism is really where the rubber meets the road,” “there’s a lot of heart in this Heart,” and his favorite delegation, “email it to Brandon.” April Desai became President in 2025 at Brandon’s urging. April clarified from the floor that her hesitation was about the commitment of joining the board as Vice President, not about serving; the board, the coordinators, and the members are all volunteers, and she is passionate about the collaboration they do in the community. Augustina DeLeon, another CNO member, serves as Director of Strategic Planning and has strengthened the Heart’s connections across the community.
Community Impact
The numbers tell the story. The Heart now has 275 member organizations, up from the 20 of 2020. Counting Americana, where the Heart is a collaborator, its events draw about 125,000 people a year. The Heart gives away about $21,000 a year in sponsorships to charities and community partners, a number that grows every year, and it hands out more than 4,000 pumpkins to kids each year at the Centerville Fall Fest. Coffee meetings that once drew four or five people now draw 30 to 40.
Looking Ahead with Jessica Olson
Brandon then introduced Jessica Olson, the Heart’s President-Elect for the 2027–2028 year. Jessica represents both ends of the membership: she is the Director of Communications & Training at the Greater Dayton RTA, a large public employer providing transit throughout Montgomery and Greene Counties, and she and her husband Jason own JJ’s Boutique, a small business near Centerville High School selling art they make themselves. Her focus is getting the Heart back to its roots, serving businesses large and small and bridging the gap between major community partners and solo entrepreneurs. She praised the Heart’s partnership with the City of Centerville and wants to grow the same relationship with Washington Township, with more events and sponsorships there.
Jessica invited anyone who owns, works for, or represents a business in Centerville or Washington Township to coffee every Friday at the Station House Restaurant at St. Leonard, near the high school. Networking starts at 8:00 AM and the meeting at 8:30 AM. The Heart also meets every second Monday evening at a different member business. Kathy Jablinski, a Heart member for 18 years, summed it up: the thing about the Heart is that it really does have heart, supporting not just its members and their businesses but the whole community.
Patrick Beckel closed with the case for shopping local: dollars spent at Centerville businesses keep circulating here, supporting the Little League teams, the sponsorships, and the events that make the community what it is.
Slide Deck
The slide deck includes several photos from the Heart’s events over the years. You can view the slide deck of the presentation here.
Thank You
Thank you, Brandon Barrett and Jessica Olson, for sharing how the Heart of Centerville & Washington Township strengthens the community we all serve.
New Member Readings and Inductions
- Julia Johnson, First Reading, sponsored by Kelly Stone
- Joellen Ulliman, Second Reading, sponsored by Christy Gariety
- Nadine Rieser, Third Reading, sponsored by Cris Peterson
- John Walter, Induction, sponsored by Larry Lynde
Happy Bucks
- Brandon Barrett delivered $500 to the club on behalf of the family of the late Mary Madden. A donation to CNO was among Mary’s last wishes, and her son matched what was given in her memory to see it through.
- Bob Lawson gave a happy buck because he shot a 68, ten strokes under his age.
- Bob Lawson gave a happy buck because his granddaughter passed her national EMT test.
- Debe Dockins gave a happy buck for Kathy Jablinski, whom she has known since they first collaborated on Tea at Two, and who has been generous, creative, and a real influence with the Heart.
- Debe Dockins gave a happy buck to the Heart of Centerville for serving as the presenting sponsor of the Ghost Walk on Main every single year since she started it in 2016.
- Joan Cordonnier gave $10 in happy bucks for the Youth Mental Health Committee’s evening at Mystery Night Out in Centerville, which engaged families even better, hour for hour, than Americana. Between the two events the committee collected 311 cards and had hundreds of conversations helping parents and kids find comfortable first steps toward independence, and support for the upcoming Capable Kids event is rolling in from local judges, the schools, the library, the park district, and the Springboro Optimist Club. Members can sign up to help using the Member Calendar.
- Andy Higgins gave a happy buck for getting to work with a co-chair who knows how to avoid the time cops.
- Connie Risch gave a happy buck for the Social Committee, the best committee in the world, which put on a great semiquincentennial picnic, complete with fun games, in honor of the nation’s 250th birthday.
- Connie Risch gave a happy buck for Dot’s Market, a great supporter in the community, which gave the club a great deal on chicken for the picnic.
- Patrick Beckel, the incoming President of the Rotary Club, gave a happy buck to thank the club, calling CNO a class act that does more than anyone realizes.
- Hunter Busch gave a happy buck, entirely in jest, because tomorrow is the first day of his senior year, which means only ten months remain until he graduates and “gets away” from his father, Jeff Busch. Hunter joins us often and is a big help at the Christmas tree lot, and we hope he keeps helping us even after he graduates.
- Sam Routsong gave a happy buck for one full year of marriage, still going strong.
Sergeants-at-Arms Fines: Mike Creech and Bob Myers
- Andy Dickerson was fined for failing to introduce his son Colton as a guest.
- Bob Myers, tired of being fined week after week for his stylish shirts, asked Siri for a random number between 1 and 15 and fined everyone at the chosen table wearing a regular shirt a dollar.
- Bob Myers had his high school nickname revealed by Don Stafford and Steve Rau: Hot Lips. Before anyone gets the wrong idea, the name came from a hidden talent. Instruments were not allowed at away games, so Bob learned to play the garden hose. Bob proved it with a live demonstration, and it sounded like a typical band song.
- Beth Duncan was fined for winning multiple baskets last week.
- Jesse Gaither was fined for not wearing his badge.
- Brandon Barrett was fined for overcorrecting: he wore three name badges.
- Sarah Umbreit was fined for slandering not just the Sergeants but the entire Sergeants’ table.
Welcome Guests
| Guest | Guest Of |
| Patrick Beckel | Program |
| Butch Brown | Program |
| Gisel Campbell | Program |
| Debbie Deardoff | Program |
| Augustina DeLeon | Program |
| April Desai | Program |
| Danielle Fritz | Program |
| Shirley Fritz | Program |
| Kathy Jablinski | Program |
| Ariel Lovely | Program |
| Jessica Olson | Program |
| Eric Watne | Program |
| Colton Dickerson | Erin Dickerson |
| Diane Gariety | Christy Gariety |
| Grey Bryant | Program |
| Hunter Busch | Jeff Busch |
| Jacob Dice | Gail Aiken |
| Joellen Ulliman | Christy Gariety |
| John Walter | Larry Lynde |
| Judy Vance | Andy Hoiggons |
| Kevin Lawler | Program |
Club Membership Anniversaries
| Member | Joined | Years |
| Maha Kashani | August 15, 2006 | 20 |
| Kristin Passidomo | August 16, 2017 | 9 |
| Tim Mach | August 19, 2023 | 3 |
| Connie Risch | August 19, 2023 | 3 |
| Keith Weiskittle | August 19, 2023 | 3 |
| Don Massie | August 20, 1991 | 35 |
| Julie Walling Noeth | August 20, 2008 | 18 |
| Matt Somerlot | August 21, 2013 | 13 |
| Mitch Bodenmiller | August 22, 2021 | 5 |
| Sally Martino | August 22, 2021 | 5 |
| Deanna Nesbit | August 22, 2021 | 5 |
| Jessica Wagner | August 22, 2021 | 5 |
| Erin Laurito | August 23, 2022 | 4 |
| Todd Muckerheide | August 23, 2022 | 4 |
| Luke Neff | August 23, 2022 | 4 |
| Dawn Arrowood | August 26, 2019 | 7 |
Birthdays
| Paul Stull | August 11 |
| Dean Lundgren | August 12 |
| Larry Lynde | August 12 |
| Fred Polizzi | August 13 |
| Julie Shisler | August 13 |
| Greg Wasmund | August 15 |
| Gail Aiken | August 17 |
| Susan Thomsen | August 20 |
| Tim Walker | August 20 |
| Marilyn Becht | August 21 |
| Stephen Walker | August 21 |
| Lee Anne Speelman | August 23 |
| Mitch Bodenmiller | August 24 |
Thank You Notes Received this Week
CLICK HERE to see the Thank You Notes received this week
Links to PowerPoint and Pictures
CLICK HERE to see the PowerPoint Slide Deck from this week’s meeting