Patricia’s Accomplishments
- Worked with citizen groups and township officials to establish two new recycling sites in Leland Township
- Chaired the effort to establish Early Childhood Development Services for families with young children
- Worked with a citizen committee and officials to achieve needed changes in the Leelanau County Road Commission Driveway permitting process
- Spearheaded and coordinated efforts to make high-speed Internet available throughout Leelanau County
- Established LIFT (Leelanau Internet Futures Team) and still serve as Chair for creating partnerships with Internet Service Providers to provide expanded broadband
- As Chair of the Leelanau Peninsula Economic Foundation, introduced the new owners of Sugarloaf to County residents and organized a community forum for citizen input
- Served on the Leelanau Senior Services ad hoc committee to strengthen collaboration between funding agencies for senior programs and the senior millage
- Collaborated on a survey of contractors and homeowners to analyze best practice policies of other counties to streamline our County building permit processes
- Served on the County Brownfield Redevelopment Authority that cleans up blighted, obsolete and abandoned industrial and commercial properties
- Served on the County Land Bank Authority to acquire, manage, and develop properties for creating partnerships with builders in an effort to provide affordable housing for young working families
Future Plans
- Continue collaboration with local townships and county officials to complete the internet infrastructure grant proposal and fund structural modifications to county towers
- Continue work with LIFT overseeing the completion of countywide high-speed internet access
- Continue to work with Building Safety Department on implementation of new programs and policies to expedite the permitting process making it more transparent and user-friendly for both contractors and homeowners
- Continue to work with Senior Services supporting implementation of new program changes
- Continue to support the newly established Benzie/Leelanau Parenting Communities Early Childhood Program created by the successful millage campaign
- Facilitate, coordinate, and create more quality Early Childhood Programs and services throughout the County for children and their families addressing the areas not covered in the millage including current childcare regulation, childcare provider needs, and childcare tuition costs
Current County Government Positions
2019 to present: Co-Chair, Early Childhood County Committee
2016 to present: Member, County Brownfield Redevelopment Authority
2016 to present: Member, County Land Bank Authority
2015 to present: Member, County Senior Services Advisory Committee
2014 to present: Member, Executive Committee, Leelanau County Family Coordinating Council
2014 to present: Member, County Building Safety Committee (formerly Construction Codes Authority);
2014 to present: Member, County Boards and Commissions Review Committee
Community Service Positions
2020 to present: Chair, Leelanau Peninsula Economic Foundation Early Childhood Committee
2019 to present: Co-founder and member, Leelanau Early Childhood Legislative Interest Group
2019 to present: Member, Northern Early Childhood Support Network Advisory Board
2017 to present: Chair, Leelanau Peninsula Economic Foundation (LPEF)
2017 to present: Chair, Leland Committee for Holiday Excitement
2017 to 2018: President, Leland Women’s Civic Club
2017 to present: Chair, Provemont Holiday Arts and Crafts Show (LLCA committee)
2016 to present: Chair, LIFT (High Speed Internet) Committee
2015 to present: Member, Leland Women’s Civic Club
2015 to present: Founding Board Member – Leelanau Peninsula Economic Foundation (LPEF)
2015 to present: Chair, LPEF Governance Committee
2015 to present: Member, LPEF Strategic Planning Committee
2015 to present: President, Suttons Bay/Leelanau County Rotary Club
2014 to present: Chair, Leelanau Early Childhood Development Commission
2014 to present: Member, Great Start Collaborative
2013 to present: Founding Member, League of Women Voters (LWVLC)
2013 to 2015: Chair, LWVLC Early Childhood Special Needs & Services
2009 to 2013: Founding Member, Leelanau Early Childhood Development Steering Committee
2009 to present: Committee Co-Chair, Blue Tiger Service Committee Leelanau County Democratic Party
1977: Service Award, Michigan Association of Community Mental Health Boards
1974: Organizing Committee for the first Michigan Women’s Conference (the conference brought women to Lansing from all areas of the state and all walks of life to discuss issues of importance to woman)
1965: Assistant to the Chair, Western Interstate Commission on Higher Education (WICHE), Department of Psychiatry, University of Utah