The Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes organization is headed in a new direction in terms of both structure and personnel.
So say hello to Bonnie Bastian, who was elected chair of the group’s board of directors, and the Friends first executive director in Laura Ann Johnson.
“It’s because of our volunteers,” Bastian said in explaining how the group has grown to become an icon of service for the Lakeshore, which annually attracts about 1.6 million visitors. “They love Sleeping Bear Dunes. They do everything possible to make it a better experience for everyone who comes to visit. They also do everything to better the experience for (National) Park Service staff.”
Although not a full-time local resident, Bastian gets Up North as often as her job allows, having been introduced to the Dunes area through stays with her aunt and uncle. She’s comfortable leading remotely from her home in Cincinnati, from which she is employed by the DCI Group public relations firm in New York.
“I’ve been coming up to Glen Arbor for about 30 years. I have relatives who have a home on big Glen, and now relatives who live on little Glen,” Bastian said.
Before attempting to fill the shoes of former Friends’ chair Kerry Kelly, a consummate worker who held the chair for two different stints, Bastian paid homage to the man who did.
“Kerry Kelly has been the backbone of the organization for 20 years. I can’t say enough nice things about him. He’s the past chair now, and from my understanding he fully intends to continue volunteering out in the park,” Bastian said.
She credited the hiring of Johnson to the “extensive efforts” and planning of the Friends board.
“We spent countless hours determining who we needed, creating a detailed job description, and with the executive search firm. Laura Ann brings great qualities in terms of leadership, in terms of understanding organizational structure, and in so many other ways. We’re super excited about her,” Bastian said.
Some 130 people applied for the position, yet Johnson, whose resume is atypical for such a post, came out on top. She has held several titles over the past 11 years with Cherry Republic, and before that was director of the Leelanau Outdoor Center in Port Oneida for nearly six years.
“The whole time it was kind of a wild ride for me because I was a bit of a wild card,” said Johnson, who is taking this week off before officially assuming her new position. “I was on the (Friends/‘) board for six years, but my career had not taken me in that (nonprofit) direction so far.”
Johnson inherits a blank slate for her position, which she embraces.
“I’m so excited to work with the board to create this new position. I’m excited to bring the knowledge and expertise I had with Cherry Republic to fundraising for the park and all the good things for the future,” she said.
At first she’ll be working “here, there and everywhere” as the organization does not own an office. It did raise funds to build a storage structure it shares with the National Park Service near the base of Dune Climb. And in the future it’s possible that the Friends group will share space in the Dean House in Glen Haven, whose exterior has been renovated but which lacks a finished interior.
As an undergraduate out of DePauw University, Johnson held aspirations of becoming a classical singer and even auditioned for post-graduate placement at the Boston Conservatory. She’s thankful her path brought her back to Leelanau.
“My secret talent is I am a classically trained singer. I applied and was looking to get my master’s in performance when I was director of the outdoor center. But honestly, I fell in love with the winters. I lasted through one winter, then I said, ‘That wasn’t that bad.’ Then I made it t through another and ditched the singing,” Johnson said.
Well, not entirely. She still sings during services at First Church Scientist in Glen Arbor.
Johnson has more than memories of her days at the outdoor center. That’s where she met her husband, Tom, who works for Hagerty Insurance in Traverse City. They have two daughters who attend Glen Lake: Abner, 7; and Florence, 4.
“I met my husband (while both were counselors) at summer camp, and convinced him that northern Michigan was pretty good, too,” Johnson said.
