Leelanau Peninsula, MI (January 10 2021) – The Leelanau Peninsula Chamber of Commerce (LPCC) has announced new board members and slate of officers for 2022. The two new members of the Board of Directors include Lynden Johncock, owner of Williams & Bay Pumping; and John Schoelles, Controller at Black Star Farms. Both Johncock and Schoelles were voted in at the annual meeting held at Black Star Farms on Wednesday, October 20th. Both will serve a three-year term.
The Board’s subsequent meeting voted in the Officers for the next year which included:
- President: Brayton Farr, State Savings Bank
- Vice President: Avery Weisling, Bonek Agency
- Treasurer/Secretary: Kristin Frodl, Leelanau Vacation Rentals
Executive Director, Jamie Jewell, stated, “The Board would like to extend a heartfelt ‘thank you’ to Renee Spalding who has been the President of the Leelanau Chamber since 2019. “Renee’s passion for Leelanau County is unwavering,” Jewell continued, “so to, is her dedication to the Chamber in reminding the board of its mission to promote business development and support businesses with valuable resources that assist in their success.”
Throughout Renee’s tenure, the Chamber made a strategic shift from an event-driven organization to one that focuses on business development and advocacy. Partnerships were formed and or strengthened to reinforce the Chamber’s mission and services provided to its members and the community. Some of those partnerships include Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Michigan, the Northern Michigan Chamber Alliance, and the Leelanau Peninsula Economic Foundation, to name a few.
Deborah Allen, former Chamber Vice President, and current LPCC Board member shared, “Renee has exemplified ‘leadership’, especially during the past two years of the pandemic which has impacted our business community so profoundly. Renee, and Jamie, diligently represented the collective business voice with the Leelanau Peninsula Economic Foundation (LPEF), and especially through the joint venture of the LPEF and the LPCC “Leelanau Recovery Team” (LRT) meetings to discuss how our communities could work together to support each other. The partnerships forged under Renee’s term have demonstrated the value of membership and the positive impact that “strength in numbers” can produce when paired with a solid vision for what the Leelanau County business community can achieve… especially in the face of a crisis!”
Another major accomplishment for the board in 2021 included launching a new mobile app. Users can download the free app from Android and Apple and it provides detailed information on all member businesses, contact information, maps, and area events. There are also capabilities for member businesses to advertise along with push notifications or specials to be sent to users which the Marketing Committee plans to implement in 2022.
Incoming President, Brayton Farr shared, “I would again like to thank Renee for her many years serving as the Chamber President! So many accomplishments have been made in the past few years with more to come. Even throughout the COVID pandemic, the Chamber has thrived and kept the community connected.”
In the coming month, the Board will be hosting a strategic planning session to determine the 2022 goals. Farr explained, “One of our objectives for 2022 is to initiate conversations with the various town and village Chambers throughout the county. We’d like to explore ways in which we can collaborate and work together to find the best use of our time and abilities. The Leelanau Chamber is looking forward to a great 2022.”
For more information, contact Jamie Jewell at info@leelanauchamber.com or 231.252.2880.
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The Leelanau Peninsula Chamber of Commerce (LPCC) is a local organization of businesses and community members whose goal is to further the interests of those members with a goal of enhancing the economic well-being of agriculture, business development, cultural arts, industry, and tourism while protecting the natural resources of the Leelanau peninsula.