Leadership Little Traverse Alumni

05/28/2026

Graduates of the Leadership Little Traverse (LLT) class of 2026 were honored Tuesday, May 26th at graduation ceremonies held at the Hotel Perry in Petoskey and sponsored by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan. This marked the 25th graduating class of the program which now boasts more than 336 alumni.

Members of the LLT Class of 2026 include:
• Calla Beers, Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council
• Melissa Cannon, Roast and Toast Cafe
• Briannaca Cobb, Northmen Dens
• Kayla Cross, Friendship Centers of Emmet County, Council on Aging
• Helen Habicht, Crooked Tree Arts Center - Petoskey
• Lauren Madison, Harris Law
• Jennifer Mancini, Northern Community Mediation
• Melissa Mansfield, North Central Michigan College
• Stephanie Marchbanks, Networks Northwest
• Ashley McMurry, Emmet County Recycling
• Annie Montagne, Bay View Association
• Jake Myers, Petoskey-Harbor Springs Area Community Foundation
• Elizabeth Powers, Great Lakes Center for the Arts
• Amanda Stead-Stirton, Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians Government
• Branden Wheeler, Klepadlo Winnell Nuorala P.C..
• Sarah Wiese, Petoskey Area Visitors Bureau

Leadership Little Traverse is a 9-month professional leadership program of the Petoskey Regional Chamber of Commerce and Harbor Springs Area Chamber of Commerce with a mission to inspire and prepare civic leaders in the Little Traverse Bay Region to take action and better our community.

05/04/2026

Attention LLT Alum - Invitation to help plan the future of Emmet County. Emmet County is updating their Master Plan, a long-term policy document that sets goals for how the County will develop in the next 5-10 years. The plan is developed via the Planning Commission and is used by elected officials, staff, residents, and others to guide decision-making around community growth, look, transportation, and land use.

County staff are hosting a community discussion geared towards Emmet County young professionals on May 11 from 4:30-6pm at the Carnegie Building meeting room (451 E Mitchell St).

The discussion will focus on confirming Emmet County priorities, future development scenarios, and desired development aesthetics. The conversation will be informal and laid back, with opportunities to contribute via real-time polling, open discussion, and written prompts. Results from the conversation will build upon the community input received to date and inform the first draft of the Master Plan recommendations.

For any questions about the project or evening, please contact Tammy Doernenburg at [email protected].

12/19/2025

The Thrive 45° 6th Annual Heartfelt Holiday Card and Letter Drive hit a new record this holiday season, collecting 1,841 cards from area families, businesses and individuals to spread holiday cheer to our area seniors. Cards were full of kindness, creative imagery and heartfelt messages. We thank the LLT Class of 2025 for stepping up to take on and assist with the drive this year. Thank you to the wonderful card writers who participated and will be bringing some additional joy to so many people in the community this year.

08/27/2025

Please help us welcome the LLT Class of 2026!! This is the 25th class!! Currently LLT has 350 alumni.

07/29/2025

Area non-profits - hurry and submit your proposal for the Leadership Little Traverse Community Service Project. The deadline is coming up on August 1.

Not-for-profit organizations that provide services in Emmet County are invited to submit proposals for the next Leadership Little Traverse (LLT) Community Service Project. To qualify, the proposed project should start no earlier than Nov. 1, 2025 and be completed by no later than April 30, 2026. The requirements of the LLT class should be specifically stated. Projects can be hands-on, can include fundraising, can involve organization development, can be public relations campaigns, and/or can be community activation. The deadline to submit your proposal is August 1, 2025.Get additional details here http://bit.ly/3TsloiG

07/15/2025

Do you want to join the 2026 class of Leadership Little Traverse? This is an incredible opportunity to:
1. Learn about the state of our community, its systems, and current issues.
2. Develop your civic leadership skills and capacity to make an impact.
3. Find your path and commit to doing 'community better' in the Little Traverse Bay Region.

Applications are due by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, July 18th. Applications are available online at https://www.petoskeychamber.com/leadership-little-traverse

Leadership Little Traverse is a community leadership program hosted by the Petoskey Regional Chamber of Commerce and Harbor Springs Area Chamber of Commerce. The class of 2026 will be the 24th class to go through the program. Sessions begin in September 2025 and will be held monthly through May 2026. Each session is a full day in length and introduces class members to different facets of the community while helping them hone personal leadership skills.

07/10/2025

Not-for-profit organizations that provide services in Emmet County are invited to submit proposals for the next Leadership Little Traverse (LLT) Community Service Project. To qualify, the proposed project should start no earlier than Nov. 1, 2025 and be completed by no later than April 30, 2026. The requirements of the LLT class should be specifically stated. Projects can be hands-on, can include fundraising, can involve organization development, can be public relations campaigns, and/or can be community activation. The deadline to submit your proposal is August 1, 2025. Get additional details here http://bit.ly/3TsloiG

07/07/2025

Do you want to join the 2026 class of Leadership Little Traverse? Applications are due by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, July 18th. Applications are available online here https://www.petoskeychamber.com/leadership-little-traverse
Leadership Little Traverse is a community leadership program hosted by the Petoskey Regional Chamber of Commerce and Harbor Springs Area Chamber of Commerce. The class of 2026 will be the 24th class to go through the program. Sessions begin in September 2025 and will be held monthly through May 2026. Each session is a full day in length and introduces class members to different facets of the community while helping them hone personal leadership skills.
This is an incredible opportunity to:
1. Learn about the state of our community, its systems, and current issues.
2. Develop your civic leadership skills and capacity to make an impact.
3. Find your path and commit to doing 'community better' in the Little Traverse Bay Region.

06/10/2025

The application window has opened for the 2026 class of Leadership Little Traverse. Applications are due by 5:00 p.m. on Monday, July 18th. Applications are available online https://www.petoskeychamber.com/leadership-little-traverse

Leadership Little Traverse is a community leadership program hosted by the Petoskey Regional Chamber of Commerce and Harbor Springs Area Chamber of Commerce. The class of 2026 will be the 24th class to go through the program. Sessions begin in September 2025 and will be held monthly through May 2026. Each session is a full day in length and introduces class members to different facets of the community while helping them hone personal leadership skills.

This is an incredible opportunity to:
1. Learn about the state of our community, its systems, and current issues.
2. Develop your civic leadership skills and capacity to make an impact.
3. Find your path and commit to doing 'community better' in the Little Traverse Bay Region.

In addition to the classroom experiences, the participants will undertake a class-wide community service project and a personal leadership project. Each participant will develop a mentor relationship with a community leader.

The cost of LLT is $900 per person. A limited number of scholarships will be available for those who need financial assistance. Class size is limited, and members of the class are selected based on the strength of their application.

Does this sound like something you would love to do? Or, do you have an employee you would like to help with their leadership development? Get started today - The deadline to apply is July 18th, 2025.

05/30/2025

Awakon Federal Credit Union made a $10,000 donation to the Leadership Little Traverse Community Project, https://www.ziibimijwang.org/lltpartnership "Egg-Stra Love for Ziibimijwang" Egg Distribution Expansion Project, as part of our continued commitment, to the communities we serve. As a certified Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), Awakon is proud to provide vital financial services in low-income areas and to individuals who may not have access to traditional financing, empowering us to support a healthier, more stable local economy, by investing in projects that make a real difference. Ziibimijwang is a tribally-designated nonprofit farm guided by Anishinaabek traditional ecological knowledge and committed to food sovereignty for the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians (LTBB).