Traverse City local and purveyor of 2 degrees of separation in our big little town. Where the kids come home when the sun is setting and everybody knows your name. Ok, maybe not quite that familiar, but it’s never difficult to find a mutual acquaintance.

My “day job” is as a local Realtor but my passion is not just helping with buying and selling their homes, but playing an active role in connecting my neighbors (and soon-to-be neighbors) to resources and relationships throughout northern Michigan.

My passion is helping in any way I can to grow and diversify our community in a sustainable manner, outside of tourism. We recognize that we became famous as a vacation area and continue to support the healthy growth of tourism, but we know it’s important to create a well-rounded community with diverse career opportunities.

Working closely with Traverse Connect, our regional economic development organization, I am proud to be a part of their talent attraction initiative, Michigan’s Creative Coast. Through the MCC initiative we launched the Northern Navigators program, of which I lead and act as a regional ambassador, meeting with newcomers to Traverse City and helping them get connected to the community.

I’ve been working with and cheering on 20Fathoms, a local startup incubator since its debut in 2018. 20Fathoms is a membership organization for the region’s entrepreneurs, intrapreneurs, tech professionals, creatives, and other innovators. Led by a team of experts who have walked-the-walk, they provide services, resources, support, and a robust network to help members accelerate both their careers and businesses.

I am also proud to be a sponsor of TCNewTech . TCNewTech is a community of tech enthusiasts, investors, entrepreneurs, and Michigan policymakers building a culture of innovation, economic growth, and opportunity for local talent in our region.

If you know me, you know that welcoming people and creating sustainable opportunities in this city has been a passion of mine pretty much since I moved here 25 years ago. I thrive off the energy of meeting new people, hearing their stories, and making connections to grow this awesome community. I joke that everybody knows everybody here, but despite the small town vibes, I think what makes Traverse City unique is its supportive and collaborative spirit. We all love this place and want to work together to make it the best place to live, for us and future generations. And that’s why I am so passionate about tapping into that spirit and helping people build their dream lives here.