“I believe in the concept of, ‘Learn three things about the people you regularly work and do business with,’” shared Seven Oaks Community resident and Kern EDC President & CEO Richard Chapman. “That way, you’ll always have something to talk about when you see them again.” And once you get to know Richard, you realize he’s never short on topics of conversation. I had the pleasure of meeting him, his wife Lara, and their daughter Coco to learn more about this very interesting and unique Seven Oaks family. 

 

Their Beginnings
Richard grew up in Pinehurst NC, a small town with only 13 people in his high school’s graduating class. Pinehurst is known as “The Golf Capital of the World.” His grandfather was a famous golfer, considered the “Ben Hogan of amateur golf,” who won five national amateur championships and played in the Masters Tournament 19 times. A dream of Richard’s was to attend Georgetown University in Washington D.C., and he did just that, earning a bachelor’s degree in finance and later an MBA in International Marketing at American University.  

 

Lara’s background is very international and diverse, “My father is Lebanese and my mother is Venezuelan. I spent my childhood in Paris, where they met, and my teens in Beirut, Lebanon.” After high school, she moved to Switzerland to attend the University of Geneva’s Faculty of Translation and Interpreting. “I grew up speaking three languages: Arabic, French, and Spanish. English is my only second language. With this background, I wanted to be an interpreter.” She was offered the chance to participate in a foreign university exchange program at Georgetown University in Washington D.C. and took it. “The alternative was to do a program at Oxford University in London, but I thought to myself, ‘My whole future is in Europe’, so I picked the U.S. option, which ended up changing my entire trajectory!”  

 

In 1987, fate intervened. While both were attending Georgetown University, Richard and Lara met at a college party. They were aged 20 and 19. When she walked in, Richard told his friends, “That’s the girl I’m going to marry.” Lara added, “I fell in love with American life, not just with Richard, and never returned to Europe.” She changed her major to economics and subsequently earned both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in economics (American University and Duke University, respectively). 

 

In 1992, the Chapmans married in Caracas, Venezuela. The ceremony was held at a private chapel at the residence of the Apostolic Nuncio, or Vatican’s Ambassador, a location that offers only two wedding ceremonies a year. “This is where the Pope stays when he visits Caracas. It was a very special event, and many of our family and friends flew in for the ceremony,” Lara shared. Richard added, “We had two ceremonies; first, a civil ceremony, which according to Venezuelan law must take place before you can get married in the church. Our civil ceremony was performed in Spanish, with the help of an interpreter, and then a couple of days later, we had our church ceremony in English.”  

 

After graduating from Georgetown, Richard worked for Prudential-Bache Securities in the Washington D.C. area, covering legislative issues and their impact on Wall Street. “It was a fascinating and enriching time in my life, with a lot going on. It was a great way to start my career.” Once both Richard and Lara earned their graduate degrees, they analyzed the nation’s top cities to decide where they wanted to live. “Seattle was emerging as one of the top cities for business and industry,” Richard said. They moved there, sight unseen, to begin their next adventure. Additionally, Lara proudly became a U.S. citizen in the early 2000s. 

 

Richard started his career in economic development and rose to the ranks of vice president of the Seattle and King County Economic Development Council. Lara worked in the advertising industry and later in marketing at the American Cultural Exchange, an organization that brings businesspeople and students to the United States. She also received a degree in multimedia and web design from the Art Institute of Seattle. As Seattle’s business-friendly climate began to change, the Chapmans realized they needed a change too. After 11 years in Seattle, they relocated to Buckeye, Arizona. “The Phoenix metropolitan area was booming.” Richard shared. “So, I accepted the executive director position at Buckeye Valley Development Council.” Life continued to change in good ways, as their daughter Coco was born there in 2005.  

 

The following year, Lara noticed an ad for a leadership role with the Kern Economic Development Corporation (Kern EDC). Richard came to Bakersfield for a visit, meeting with the region’s business and government leaders. “I was completely blown away by Kern County’s incredible economic diversity and opportunity.” Richard realized, “I can really promote and brand this amazing place.” The Seven Oaks community and the country club were big draws for Lara. “As new parents, Bakersfield had everything we were looking for, and the proximity to Los Angeles was another plus. We took full advantage of the holiday events at Seven Oaks Country Club such as the Brunch with Santa, the Easter Egg Hunt, and the Fourth of July fireworks.” Richard added, “It was an easy decision to come here.” Having only lived in major cities, moving to Bakersfield was an exciting new adventure for Lara. “It turned out to be such a pleasant surprise.” 

 

Daughter Coco, now age 19, is a talented and gifted young woman. She currently lives in Boston, Massachusetts and attends the New England Conservatory of Music. She just finished her sophomore year as a Music Composition major, which involves writing music for a wide range of instruments. She describes her composition style as, “Contemporary Classical.” She attended music and movement classes at Harmony Road Music School at age 16 months and began group piano lessons there at age 4 1/2 (coming full circle, Coco now works there in the summer when she’s back in Bakersfield). She composed her first musical piece at age 5 and was invited to perform it at the annual convention of the Music Teachers’ Association of California (MTAC). She subsequently performed multiple original piano compositions and improvisations at MTAC’s annual convention each summer. In 2022, Coco was offered a five-year membership in MTAC’s Young Composers Guild. 

 

Prior to the Conservatory, she was educated at home through a distance learning program from The Laurel Springs Academy. “The Academy offers a self-paced and mastery-based, customized curriculum to meet a student’s level of learning, often placing them at different grade levels in different subjects,” Lara shared. With a near-perfect SAT score of 1580, Coco was one of three Kern County high school seniors who earned the National Merit Scholar Finalist designation.  

Coco has taken every opportunity to expand her musical skillset. For the past three summers, she participated in the Bakersfield International Music Festival, a 10-day summer chamber music program at California State University, Bakersfield (CSUB). One of Coco’s mentors is local professor and music legend Doug Davis, PhD, who established and oversaw the Bakersfield Jazz Festival. During the pandemic, Coco was fortunate to take online jazz improvisation and music composition lessons with Dr. Davis. Coco has discovered a new passion for choral singing as a member of NEC’s Chamber Singers. She is developing her vocal abilities through private lessons and may pursue opera studies in the future.  

 

Richard and the Kern EDC
Richard has been the President & CEO of the Kern County EDC for over 18 years. Kern EDC’s tagline is, “Where Business is Boundless.” Founded in 1988, its mission is, “To cultivate and promote Kern County's boundless opportunities for business.” Richard and his team of five lead this effort, comprised of two parts; Kern EDC focuses on job creation/retention, capital investment, and development. Richard is also the executive director of the Kern Economic Development Foundation, which helps to create quality workforce STEM jobs and operates initiatives such as Women in STEM, Kern Intern Connections, and the Kern County Career and STEM Expo.  

 

The Kern EDC has several recent success stories of companies moving here, such as Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tejon (now under construction), Pacific Steel, California Dairies, Niagara Bottling, and Nestle USA. “Right now, Kern EDC has about 25 projects in the works, companies interested in coming or expanding here,” Richard shared. And they just had a record year for new Kern EDC memberships.  

 

Last year, Richard ventured into new territory by starting a talk show series on KGET-TV called, “Where Business is Boundless,” highlighting local businesses that reflect the economic vitality and diversity of Kern County. Kern EDC also won an award for its “2024-2025 Kern County Market Overview” publication, produced in partnership with The Marcom Group, that profiles all that Kern County has to offer.  

 

Every summer for nearly 10 years, the Chapmans have hosted French students in their home through a program called, “Horizons du Monde.” Students live in Bakersfield for three weeks, traveling down to the L.A. area four days a week to experience both an American smaller town and a bigger city. “We love introducing these students to our community,” Lara said. “I often hear ‘I feel like I’m on the set of an American movie!’ They’re absolutely amazed by our Seven Oaks neighborhood.” In the past, Lara has also taught a cultural immersion course at CSUB for Japanese students, titled, “Global Influences on American Pop Culture” as part of CSUB’s American Language Institute. 

 

The Chapmans have a fourth family member, their dog Ovaltine, who is half Maltese and half Havanese. (Ovaltine had no problem welcoming me and snuggling up next to me during this interview). In their off hours, Richard and Lara can be found enjoying restaurants like Luigi’s, Pyrenees and Smitten. In fact, Richard and Lara have a tradition of having lunch at Luigi’s every New Year’s Eve. 

 

Lara enjoys being a part of two book clubs at Belcourt and Seven Oaks Country Club. When I asked the family what they most enjoy about living in Seven Oaks, they shared their love for the people, the small-town feel, and the walkability of their Belcourt neighborhood. “This place has been so giving to us. Every success that our family has experienced has been a result of the people in this community being so helpful and giving. Moving and living here has been one of the best decisions we’ve ever made.” 

 

I’m following Richard’s advice and will remember three important three things about the Chapman Family; they’re a great mix of both local and international; they’re warm and welcoming to all; and they love our Kern County and Seven Oaks community!