Senior Action Names Dezen, Ratterree as Board Officers
March 28, 2011
GREENVILLE, SC – March 28, 2011 – Senior Action, the non-profit organization dedicated to strengthening Greenville County’s maturing population and their families by providing access to resources needed for physical, emotional and social well-being, has appointed Jeff Dezen as chairman and Charles Ratterree as vice chair/chair-elect of its Board of Directors.
Both Mr. Dezen and Mr. Ratterree are well immersed in the Greenville community and are active contributors to civic organizations here, said Andrea Smith, Senior Action Executive Director and CEO, in making the announcement. Their willingness to assume these critical leadership roles brings important experience, stability and insight to the leadership team of this organization.
Mr. Dezen is President of Jeff Dezen Public Relations, a Greenville, S.C.-based marketing communications consulting agency which he founded in 1991 and which specializes in Public Relations corporate consulting, strategic planning and media relations. A Greenville native for over 30 years, Mr. Dezen has long been active in numerous business and civic organizations, including BankGreenville’s Board of Directors, The United Way, Greater Greenville’s YMCA and The Meyer Center for Special Children. Mr. Dezen also has an extensive track-record for championing education issues, having worked with The Alliance for Quality Education, Greenville Tech, Furman University and Greenville High School, in addition to mentoring, tutoring and coaching Greenville’s youth for many years.
Mr. Ratterree is chief operating officer and principal with Merge, a Greenville, S.C.-based digital marketing and web firm which he joined in 2010. A native of Spartanburg who holds a Masters in Fine Arts from Yale University, Mr. Ratterree’s background includes senior leadership positions with a number of rapid-growth companies where he has established, among other responsibilities, corporate responsibility programs involving such groups as The National Wildlife Foundation and Plant a Row for the Hungry. Long active in business and civic circles, Mr. Ratterree also serves on the Board of Directors of the Metropolitan Arts Council and South Carolina Children’s Theatre.
Formerly vice chair of Senior Action, Mr. Dezen succeeds outgoing chairman Marion Buster Beacham of Palmetto Bank. Ms. Smith expressed appreciation to the outgoing chairman for his service on the Board and to the community. Mr. Beacham has played a significant role in helping support efforts to better Greenville’s senior population, and for that we are immensely grateful, she added.
Senior Action provides a variety of health and wellness programs, social and civic involvement initiatives, and a mix of dining, transportation, care management and home care services to seniors over the age of 55 in 11 locations across Greenville County, and in partnership with numerous other service providers in the community. For additional information on Senior Action or its services, contact Andrea Smith at (864) 467-3660 or online at www.senioraction.org.
