Manna Food Project Staff

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Manna Board Tom Squires

Tom Squires, President
Joined: February 2021

Tom is a vice president with MedAdept, a health care IT company that helps those with chronic conditions maximize their wellness via MedAdepts’ software platforms. Tom hopes to extend this experience to Manna and the local communities so that everyone can have access to quality nutrition.

Tom is a physical therapist with degrees from Purdue and Washington Universities and works from his home office. The Squires family moved to Petoskey in 2013 but they have called Northern Michigan their home away from home since 2003. In addition to volunteering for his kids activities, Tom is involved with the Petoskey Kiwanis and is a volunteer with the Grand Traverse Conservancy.

When not chasing his kids around Michigan for their sports events, Tom likes to participate in all the outdoor activities that NoMi has to offer including water sports, golf, skiing, and mountain biking.

Manna Board David Donovan

David Donovan, Vice President
Joined: December 2021

My wife Connie and I moved to Harbor Springs in September 2020 and are looking forward to becoming more active in the Northern Michigan community.

I am a semi-retired management consultant and active community volunteer. After working many years with the regulated utility industry, I have more recently focused on organizational strategy consulting with technology start-up companies, nonprofit organizations, healthcare organizations and universities.

I received a BS in Economics from Western Michigan University and an MBA from the University of Michigan. I developed a passion for volunteerism while serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer and program planner from 1971 to 1975 in Northeastern Brazil. I have served on a variety of corporate and nonprofit governing boards for many years and have been on the board of the Food Bank Council of Michigan for over ten years. I am looking forward to serving the Manna Board and sharing my experience in the nonprofit sector.

Melanie Meengs, Secretary
Joined: October 2023

Melanie and her husband moved to the Petoskey area some nineteen years ago. She likewise has extensive experience working on nonprofit boards and has been actively involved in fundraising, including for higher education. She has a passion for helping people and feels that becoming involved with Manna will take her commitment to an even higher level.

Before moving to Northern Michigan Melanie worked in fundraising for Hope College, then continued her fundraising efforts locally with the Harbor Springs Historical Society. She is enthusiastic about bringing her fundraising experience to bear in helping Manna fulfill its mission.

Kevin Christman

Kevin Christman, Treasurer 
Joined: May 2021

Kevin is a native Michigander and has been a Petoskey resident since moving to Northern Michigan in 1982. He is a CPA and retired in 2020 after a forty year career working in the public accounting field.

Kevin believes that we are fortunate to be able to live and work in Northern Michigan and that it is important to give back to the community. He is excited about serving on the Manna board and helping to fulfill its important mission. He also was a long-standing member of the Rotary Club of Petoskey and a past board member and a current volunteer for the YMCA of Northern Michigan. In addition, he recently began volunteering for Habitat for Humanity.

Kevin and his wife of 34 years, Cindy, have two daughters. He enjoys various outdoor activities, including skiing, hiking and walking.

Manna Board Susan Conklin

Susan Conklin
Joined: July 2019

Susan began volunteering at Manna in early 2015, and later that year spearheaded the creation of the Good Neighbors Food Pantry in Boyne City, where she serves as volunteer pantry director and board president.

She and her husband Hugh owned The Citizen, a weekly newspaper in Boyne City. After selling the paper, Susan worked at the Crooked Tree District Library in Walloon Lake and Boyne Falls as library director, and later at the Boyne District Library. She has been involved in her community in many capacities over the years, including youth sports and serving on the Downtown Development Authority, and is currently a member of the Boyne City Housing Commission.

Susan and Hugh live in Boyne City, where they raised their three sons. She enjoys gardening, reading, family, and spending time outdoors in all seasons.

Manna Board Larry DeWitt

Larry DeWitt
Joined: August 2019

Larry DeWitt and his wife, Lorna Sue, live year-round in Harbor Springs and have become regular volunteers at Manna since he retired in July 2017.

Larry worked for Consumers Energy for 32 years and spent 8 years as an independent engineer in electric generation, including coal, gas, biomass (wood chips, coconut shells, rice husks), wind and solar. While working in Argentina, Morocco, and India, the couple dove head-first into helping local communities. This often included hands-on assistance to hospitals, rural schools, and other community organizations with a focus on sustainable actions. They raised their sons, Matt and Joe, overseas, and are proud of how culturally sensitive the two have become.

During their own youth, Larry and Lorna’s families attended St. Francis Xavier fish frys, pancake breakfasts, and many other events in this area–not to eat, but to cook, serve, clean, you-name-it.

“These experiences constantly taught us that we are our brother’s keeper,” Larry said. “Lorna and I are humbled at the privilege to continue this through Manna.”

Manna Board Jim Jensen

Jim Jensen
Joined: October 2020

Jim’s first experiences in Northern Michigan started with summer jobs on Mackinac Island. He and his wife of 31 years, Jennifer, raised their sons in Okemos before becoming permanent residents of Petoskey in 2008.

Jim graduated from Ohio University with a BS in Communications in 1971. After holding positions with NBC, the Hearst Corporation, and Cox Communications, Jim spent 33 years as President and CEO of radio station operators Liggett Broadcasting, Inc. and Liggett Communications LLC. He has held previous board positions with the Ingham County Hospital Foundation, Michigan Association of Broadcasters, and the Boyne City Main Street/DDA. His family enjoys golfing, skiing, and the outdoors in all four seasons.

Jim first volunteered with Manna as a Food Rescue driver in the fall of 2018 and immediately felt the passion of the organization. “At Liggett Broadcasting, our mission was to address the significant issues faced in the markets where we operated, and do what we could to improve the lives of our listeners. Now in retirement, I’m honored to join the board of an organization that takes on the most important challenge: the task of feeding those in need.”

Dan Ledingham
Joined: October 2023

Dan is a lifelong resident of the Little Traverse Bay area, growing up in the Ponshewang area of Crooked Lake and graduating from Littlefield High School in Alanson. His education continued at Northern Michigan University where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree. Since 1998, Dan’s been a financial advisor for Edward Jones, becoming a limited partner in 2002 specializing in estate & legacy strategies and intergenerational planning.

Extremely active in the community, he’s previously served on the board and as president of the Petoskey Regional Chamber of Commerce, on the boards of the North Central Michigan College Foundation, the Sunrise Rotary club, the Crooked Tree Arts Center and as president of the local Ducks Unlimited and the Petoskey Football Boosters.

Dan and his wife Mary have two grown sons Chase and Noah. In his spare-time he loves to hunt and fish and spend time traveling with Mary.

Manna Board Bill McMaster

Bill McMaster
Joined: January 2017

Bill has been on the Manna board since 2016. He’s excited to be part of the team at Manna to help feed the hungry in Northern Michigan.

Bill and his brother Don own and operate Bill’s Farm Market, a 100-year-old Petoskey farm that has been in the family for generations. Bill is passionate about supporting his local community and improving its overall health and wellbeing.

“I love to help out on Tuesdays at the weekly pantry to shop with people who need food assistance,” Bill says.

Manna Board Lauren Meisel

Lauren Meisel
Joined: October 2021

Lauren is a general pediatrician who works at Petoskey Child Health Associates. She has been in practice since 2007 after completing medical school at Michigan State University College of Human Medicine. She completed her residency at Brown University in Rhode Island. Since then, she has practiced in Marquette Michigan, San Rafael, California and now Petoskey.

Her interest in medicine has always focused on providing care to underserved, underinsured, or uninsured populations as well as promoting prevention and healthy lifestyles.

She moved to Petoskey last year to be closer to family in Michigan. According to Lauren, she has two amazing daughters, Greta and Elsa, who are 12 and 9 years old. Her wonderful husband, Karl, is a neurologist at McLaren and they have been married for 20 years. She loves to be active and outdoors swimming, hiking, skiing, and biking. When indoors her family likes to read, cook and play games. Lauren is excited to be a part of the Manna Board and is looking forward to serving the community.

Manna Board Sarah Shuman

Sarah Shuman
Joined: April 2019

As the granddaughter of Budd Tallberg, one of the founders of Manna, Sarah is thrilled to be serving on the Manna board. Sarah has an undergraduate marketing degree from the University of Colorado and an MBA from the University of Michigan. Sarah and her husband, David, are both natives of Northern Michigan and returned home to raise their kids, Ben and Amelia, more than a decade ago. Together they own and operate Bay North Realty.

In addition to her work at Manna, Sarah currently sits on the Board of Directors of the Petoskey-Harbor Springs Area Community Foundation, donates her time to the marketing committee of the Petoskey Education Foundation, and is the Treasurer for the Hammerhead Swim Club. She enjoys supporting her kids in their multitude of activities, running, skiing, reading, and walking her two furry family members through the woods.