Leelanau Peninsula Economic Foundation 2022 Officers Announced

The Leelanau Peninsula Economic Foundation (LPEF) held its annual meeting on February 23, 2022 where the following Officers were elected.  Incumbents, Jim Bardenhagen of Bardenhagen Farms, Patricia Soutas-Little of Solira Laboratories, Scott Walker of Due North Marketing Communications and Jeff Shaw of Traverse City Charter Fishing and Elmwood Twp Supervisor were re-elected as President, Chairperson, Secretary, and Treasurer respectively.  Brayton Farr of Cardinal Financial was newly elected as Vice-Chairperson.

Sharon Oriel of Glen Arbor was elected as a new board member.  Other board members include LPEF founder Tim Haring, Laura Galbraith of Venture North Funding & Development, Todd Avis of Leelanau Education Group, and Emily Heston of Falling Waters Lodge.

LPEF was formed in 2014 and is a nonpartisan, nonprofit with a mission to create collaborative opportunities to strengthen and sustain the economic vitality of our businesses and communities while being sensitive to the natural beauty of Leelanau County. 

As a self-funded non-government organization, its initiatives include:

·      Workforce housing in collaboration with the Leelanau County Housing Action Committee, Housing North, Leelanau Land Trust

·      County-wide broadband internet through LPEF’s Leelanau Internet Futures Team

·      Early childhood health and development with the Infant-Toddler Collaborative Review Committee and the Leelanau Early Childhood Development Commission

·      Business recovery efforts from the pandemic through the LPEF Leelanau Recovery Team in partnership with the Leelanau Peninsula Chamber of Commerce, and the Regional Resiliency Program in cooperation with Venture North and the Leelanau Township Community Foundation

Visit www.leelanau4business.org for more information.