3 minute read
Profile: Dennis O’Connell
PROFILE
Dennis O’Connell
By Kim Maples, Communications Committee member
In 2013 Dennis O’Connell, a retired manager, application developer, and Department of Justice employee, and his wife lived in Sacramento, but frequently commuted to a vacation home in Soda Springs. They had always been curious about the attractivelooking neighborhood in the mountains off Route 80 in Northwest Reno. When he was unable to find any neighborhood info on the internet, Dennis decided to drive over to investigate and was surprised to discover the opportunity to build a new luxury home on a world-class golf course with beautiful public parks and spaces. The O’Connells decided to build a new home here and moved to Somersett in 2014. Realizing that many other folks might want to learn more about Somersett online, Dennis joined the SOA’s Communications Committee. He soon purchased the domains somersett.org, somersett.net, and somersett.info, and helped the SOA build its prototype website. The site – now Somersett.org - has morphed over the years and is continuously being improved by Communications Committee members since Dennis resigned in 2018. Dennis chuckles when committee members call him one of our “Website Founding Fathers,” remembering his recognition of how important a website is in highlighting Somersett amenities to residents and potential buyers, which helps to increase home values. Dennis had made many local music connections over the eight years he has lived in the Back Nine Trail community and through playing bass in a Reno band for a time. He now volunteers his time by recommending talented local bands to the SOA’s Community Events Committee for events such as Music on the Green, Mardi Gras, the Somersett Car Show, the Holiday Gala, and many more. Tamara McLean, lead singer for Gwen in Doubt, who performed at Music on the Green in June, told Dennis, “Somersett is such a fun booking for us! The residents are super chill and want to have a good time, which makes it fun for the band. We love the energy!” Dennis also books entertainment and engineers live sound for the bands that play at Peavine Taphouse, our local Somersett neighborhood restaurant and bar every Wednesday (7-9 pm), Friday, and Saturday (8:30-11 pm). Dennis shares, “the bands I work with love to play at Somersett because the people and energy are so uplifting.” Dennis and his wife love Somersett for its climate, beautiful, wellkept grounds, and amazing views of the Sierras. And the SOA is grateful to Dennis for being a pivotal part of sharing Somersett with so many others in 2014 and beyond.
Dennis O'Connell
