Northern Lakes Economic Alliance • 231-582-6482 • info@northernlakes.net
Meet NLEA Administrative/Communications Assistant, Carly Bortz
NLEA Communications Assistant, Carly Bortz, and her husband Nate Bortz were married at Jordan Valley Events Barn in East Jordan.
Carly grew up in Charlevoix, graduated from Charlevoix High School in 2013 and then obtained a Bachelor of Arts in English from Spring Arbor University in 2017. She and her husband Nate were married in East Jordan last June and bought a house in Charlevoix. After serving the Charlevoix Chamber of Commerce at the front desk for three summers, she transitioned to her role at NLEA which she’s been in for a year now. When she isn’t sending you emails, Carly enjoys exploring the trails, enjoying the beaches in summertime, spending time with her family, and freelancing for local News Review publication, Northern Michigan Weddings.
NLEA approaches communications through general office support and sharing success stories. The Administrative/Communications role, ensures that staff can be flexible and on-the-go to provide assistance, that customers are directed to the proper services, and that our partners and communities within our service area are up to date on economic and community development projects and programs.
At NLEA we have a saying that “everyone gets a yes.” A big part of this position is to make sure everyone gets the right yes, and is directed to the proper staff member or partner organization to help them with their request. Staff is assisted as well with project support through reporting, marketing, and event planning and logistics.
Our communication strategy is based around sharing the success stories of the companies and communities we work with every day. When a business owner is able to expand their facility in the community they love, keep their employees on payroll, and not uproot their families, we’re proud of that and want to share that story. The same is true for a community that is able to become more entrepreneurial friendly, or start making progress on their strategic goals.
We communicate with our customers in three main ways: monthly newsletters and email marketing, social media (Facebook and Instagram), and our website. Every month, each staff member writes an article in our newsletter on a project update and success story, a helpful tool for communities or businesses, or an issue that companies and communities face. Through social media, we’re able to make connections with community members, leaders and partners and share information; this helps us build great relationships and stay current. We added a new feature on our website last year featuring testimonials from our partners and stakeholders to share our impacts with our viewers.
Keep an eye out for our monthly business column entry in the Petoskey News Review! Want to connect? Email me at carly@northernlakes.net or call the NLEA office at 231-582-6482.
Connect with us. Visit our website. Subscribe to our mailing list. Like us on Facebook @nleainfo. Follow us on Instagram @nlea_nmi.
