Photo credit: Hannah Kittle Photography
When Nick and Sarah Arnold met in 2012, they discovered that the outlines of their lives were strikingly similar.
They both graduated from local high schools, Nick from Warren and Sarah from Marietta, after being born elsewhere and moving to the Mid-Ohio Valley in their youth. They each pursued their interest in architecture at Miami University, and then each returned to Washington County after completing their degrees.
Around the time that Sarah was graduating from college, her parent’s home was destroyed by a fire. This event brought her back to the Mid-Ohio Valley to help her family design the rebuild. After being back in the area for about a year, she met Nick.
Nick was working in Parkersburg as an Architectural Designer/3D Designer. Sarah had been planning to attend graduate school in Seattle, but then became Nick’s coworker when she accepted a position as a drafter for the same company.
While Nick was discovering his love for helping others learn new skills and how to think creatively to solve problems, Sarah discovered her love for marketing.
“You don’t have to move out of your neighborhood to live in a better one.”
This new love led Sarah to join Marietta Community Foundation as the Communications and Program Services Director until mid-2018.
Sarah and Nick remain passionate about giving back to the community and use the Foundation to do so.
“We strongly believe in giving back locally so that we can be part of building the kind of community we most want to live in," Sarah said. "We want to see our local nonprofits thrive because we know they provide essential services that our community depends upon. Giving through MCF is a wonderful and trustworthy way to support the local nonprofits, causes, and projects we care about most!”
Through their work, Nick and Sarah have each found ways to improve our area and inspire others to do the same.
In 2014, Sarah started Clutch MOV; a free, online publication that delivered creative coverage of the Mid-Ohio Valley’s rich culture and local flavor. This wildly popular community magazine accumulated over 19,000 loyal followers during its 8 years of operation. The publication sparked a vibrant, local online presence, and gave many people a newfound appreciation for their hometown. In 2021, she opened Clutch Collective, an art retail space in downtown Marietta that celebrates culture, community, and creativity. Currently, Sarah is also making strides at Ohio SE promoting economic development in Southeastern Ohio.
Meanwhile, Nick has challenged himself and his colleagues to think outside of the box and construct residences that are exceptionally durable. His structures are often built to last twice as long as other new builds. High-performance building design has become his specialty. Each day, he helps families create residential spaces that allow them to feel at home and focus on creating memories instead of worrying about their home’s long-term durability or energy consumption.
While these two-time MOV transplants love to travel, they have happily decided to make Marietta their permanent home.
The proof is spelled out on a letter board in their living room. “You don’t have to move out of your neighborhood to live in a better one.” – Majora Carter
Their contributions have already made the Mid-Ohio Valley a better place to live, and they’re just getting started.
Recently Marietta Community Foundation published several stories of local families and organizations in the 2021 Annual Report: Inspiring Community. Each of these families has a unique background and perspective, but they all share an inspiring love for our community.