Today we’d like to introduce you to Jay Mattlin.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I’m not sure exactly what you want to hear so here is a rundown. Lol.
I am from Lancaster, Ohio – born and raised. I graduated from Lancaster High School in 2005. I went on to get my Bachelor of Science in Network and Communication Management from DeVry University and then my Master’s of Science in Information Systems Management. My background has been in Information Technology and until June of 2022, I had worked for Fairfield County in their IT Department for the last 10 years. In 2016, I decided I wanted to do something different than IT so I got my real estate salesperson license and began my real estate career. In June of 2022, I was offered the position of Agent Success Manager with Key Realty where I can still practice real estate but I also help our Central Ohio agents with their real estate careers, teach continuing education classes, plan networking events, and am available to our 300+ agents to answer questions and assist the agents when they need help. This position with Key Realty has also allowed me to be even more involved in my community and help with the organizations that are near and dear to me.
In 2001 is really where I got my taste of wanting to do something to give back. I started fundraising for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society in 2001 in honor of my grandmother who had a very rare form of Leukemia. That first year, I was a freshman in high school and we raised just about $500. I’ve been fundraising with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society ever since then and in total, myself, my family, and my friends have raised close to $100,000 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society in the past 22 years. In 2022, I was named the 2022 Man of the Year by the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society for my fundraising efforts.
Another thing I’m involved in is The Rainbow Alliance of Fairfield County. This is Lancaster’s Pride organization. Myself and several other people started the organization in 2019 as we felt the lgbtiqia+ community was unrepresented and needed a community resource to help. In 2019, we were able to hold Lancaster’s first official pride in Downtown Lancaster. It was a great success. Then COVID happened and we had to back off for a couple of years. In 2021, instead of holding a large pride event, we held a Pride Week where we had several smaller, covid safe events. We repeated that again in 2022 with a large Pride event held in August. In 2022, we also started to hold Family Game Night at a local coffee shop to give lgbtqia youth a place to come and hang out and meet other people who were like-minded. As the organization grows, The Rainbow Alliance of Fairfield County is trying to be the local resource for lgbtqia people in Lancaster and Fairfield County.
I also an a Rotarian and have served on several other local boards over the years.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Let’s talk about The Rainbow Alliance of Fairfield County in particular with this question.
Lancaster, OH is not the most diverse town in the state so it’s been a challenge starting a pride organization. Mainly, the biggest obstacles have been reaching our target audience while also helping the community understand why a Pride organization is important to our community.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Currently, I am the Agent Success Manager for Key Realty Central Ohio. I am also a real estate agent that helps my clients buy and sell property. I’m not sure in the community I’m most known for something in particular but I am well known in the my community. I generally volunteer where I’m needed.
To date, I’m most proud of how far The Rainbow Alliance of Fairfield County has come from when we started. We did not really have a vision of what the organization wanted to ultimately do so it’s taking us some time to see what we really want to focus on.
What sets me apart from others? I’m organized. I’m a go-getter. I believe in viewing a problem with a big picture viewer and seeing how to best correct a problem that will allow us to move forward currently but also in the future.
Who else deserves credit in your story?
Oof. There are so many people who I could thank here. I’d say the Executive Director of Destination Downtown Lancaster, Amanda Everitt is a huge supporter, cheerleader, mentor, etc. She’s always in my corner and I know if I need anything, she is a phone call away with a pep talk or some real talk that I need to hear. I also want to thank the Fairfield County Auditor, Carri Brown. She taught me a simple piece of advice years ago and to this day, I still apply it daily. The advice is E+R=0 – event plus reaction equals outcome where the only part of that equation you can control is your reaction to an event. I’d also like to thank my husband, Dustin, who is my biggest supporter and cheerleader. He’s always willing and able to help where he can. And most of all, I want to thank my Board of Directors, Amy Lash, Jeremy Grosklos, Hollie Merchant, Melissa, McClaren, and Kayla Hittle. This is a small organization trying to do big things so oftentimes, it’s all hands on deck for things. These individuals each have their own lives and commitments but still manage to bring valuable talent to the table so we can continue to run this organization and do amazing things for the community.
Contact Info:
Image Credits
Stephanie West Photography
Tammy Dean Photography
