NLEA History

Past NLEA Presidents and Past Board Chairs              

Richard Beagle Coordinator 1984-1989	Tom Johnson Executive Director 1990-2005	Andy Hayes President 2005-Present
Josh Barnes, Chair Charlevoix County Business and Industry Task Force 1984-1985	Randy Frykberg, Chair Antrim-Charlevoix Growth Alliance 1985-1986	Richard Wieland, Chair Antrim-Charlevoix Growth Alliance 1987
Susan VanWieren, Chair Antrim-Charlevoix Growth Alliance; Northern Lakes Economic Alliance 1988-1990	Jim Wibby, Chair Northern Lakes Economic Alliance 1991	Peter Garwood, Chair Northern Lakes Economic Alliance 1992; 1999-2000
Robert M. Boldrey, Chair Northern Lakes Economic Alliance 1993-1994	Mike Hansen, Chair Northern Lakes Economic Alliance 1995-1996	Mike Hills, Chair Northern Lakes Economic Alliance 1997-1998
Dan Hoggard, Chair Northern Lakes Economic Alliance 2001-2002	Rick Diebold, Chair Northern Lakes Economic Alliance 2003-2005	Brian Braddock, Chair Northern Lakes Economic Alliance 2006-2008
Keith Williams, Chair Northern Lakes Economic Alliance 2009-2010	Don Voisin, Chair Northern Lakes Economic Alliance Present

Timeline of Significant Events:

• 1984 Charlevoix County Business & Industry Task Force formed
• 1985 Antrim County joins. New name is Antrim-Charlevoix Growth Alliance 
• 1988 Emmet County joins. New name is Northern Lakes Economic Alliance
• 1990 Business Development Center (BDC) opened at NCMC, Petoskey
• 1992 MSU Extension partnership formalized
• 1995 NLEA receives 501(c)3 private non-profit status
• 1997 Northern Homes Community Development Corp. formed in partnership with the Northeast Michigan Council of Governments
• 2000 Value-Added Agriculture Program initiated
• 2001 Michigan Economic Development Corp. (MEDC) partnership established
• 2001 NLEA enters formal partnership with MSU Extension
• 2001 Partnership formed with the Char-Em ISD
• 2002 NLEA becomes a satellite Small Business & Technology Development Center (sbTdc)
• 2005 1st of six Business Resource Centers (BRC) established in the Boyne District Library, Boyne City
• 2005 NLEA Chamber of Commerce Council organized
• 2006 Partnership formed with Northwest Michigan Council of Governments
• 2007 Cheboygan County joins the NLEA
• 2007 NLEA Entrepreneurial Division formed
• 2009 NLEA’s 25th Anniversary