Kathleen, husband Larry, and their family have enjoyed a rich history in Northern Michigan since 1983. Originally from Bloomfield Village, Michigan. Kathleen served as a Trustee for the Bloomfield Village Board. Leland became their year round home in 2019 when their son Justin completed the construction of their home. Kathleen earned her BA from Grand Valley State University and has enjoyed careers in education and law firm management.

The Old Art Building was the perfect location for their daughter Lauren’s wedding in August 2019. Kathleen has thoroughly enjoyed volunteer opportunities at the OAB, assisting with HollyPop, Art Shows, The Centennial Committee and The Strategic Planning Committee. Kathleen’s other local interests include Leland School Bridge Mentor, helping at The Leelanau Children’s Center and volunteering with the Benzie Leelanau County Health Department.

Kathleen joined the OAB Board December 2021.

Originally from Grand Rapids, Barbara has treasured the beauty of Leelanau County since vacationing here with her family as a child. Barbara’s husband David fell in love with the county when they started coming together in the early 1990’s, and they bought their home in 2015, moving here full time in 2020.

Barbara and David raised their children in Naperville, llinois. Barbara returned to school to complete her education as an adult, finishing her BA in Pastoral Ministry and Theology, and MA in Spirituality/Spiritual Direction. She achieved board certification through the National Association of Catholic Chaplains and loved her career as a hospital chaplain in the western suburbs of Chicago.

Barbara brings enthusiasm and skills for cultivating inclusive and supportive communities to her service with the Old Art Building, LCN, the Leland Chamber of Commerce, the Benzie Leelanau Health Department, her parish, St. Kateri, and Suttons Bay Congregational Church.

Kay is a native of upstate New York, where she graduated from the
University of Rochester with a degree in French Literature, along with vocal study at Eastman School of Music, and a year at La Sorbonne in Paris. Graduate studies were at Syracuse University and the University of Massachusetts. She enjoyed a long career as a teacher of French. She has performed in the arts as a vocalist, pianist and organist, actress, and a director of musical theater productions. Currently she is pursuing the adventure of creating paintings as an artist.

In 1980 Kay and her husband Bob moved to southeast Michigan,
where they raised their two sons, and where she served twenty years on the board of the Adrian Symphony, and twelve years as co-chair of professional opera productions presented at the historic Croswell Opera House. Early on, they became acquainted and enamored with Leelanau County and purchased a small cottage, which later led to a house on Lake Michigan, where they landed as permanent residents in 2007.

Kay has served as president of the Leland Garden Club and chair
of their garden tours. She is a member of PEO and president of
Leelanau Women Artists. For years she has attended, volunteered, and participated in a myriad of exhibits and varied events at the OAB.

She is delighted to contribute her efforts towards the continued well being of this community and cultural gem.

Kay joined the Board in 2021.

Tom Knowles is a native of West Michigan, who was introduced to the Leelanau Peninsula by his wife—her family has lived in the area for over 40 years. Married at The Riverside Inn, Tom and Mary Ann moved to Leland full time in 2018.

Tom is currently the President and co-owner of K-Line Industries Inc., a manufacturing and engineering company near Holland, MI. He began his love of drawing in college, and recently rekindled his passion drawing portraits in graphite and colored pencil. He’s inspired by the wealth of local talent on display at the OAB and surrounding area.

Tom joined the Board in 2023.

Rick first became enamored with Leland when he followed his college sweetheart, Sandy, to the lake in 1972. Since then, he never looked back – nor left! Rick graduated from Kent State University with a Bachelor of Architecture degree in 1975 and married Sandy two weeks later. He ran his own architectural firm in Cincinnati for 39 years, which he founded only a few years after graduation. Rick and Sandy have five grown children who visit Leland in summer and winter throughout their entire lives. Their 15 grandchildren now follow in those same footsteps.

In 2013 Rick tried his hand at oil painting, and is now represented by two Michigan galleries and one gallery in Cincinnati. He retired from the field of architecture in 2020, and is now spending more and more time at their cottage on Lake Leelanau. “I believe that there is a time in all of our lives, where we need to ‘give back’ and being on the Board of the Old Art Building will allow me to use my business skills to insure that this wonderful organization will flourish for years to come.”

Rick joined the Board in 2021 and is currently serving as Treasurer.

Margie first moved to Leelanau County with her family in 1972. After the birth of her second and third children in 1973 and 1975, respectively, she became active in the community, helping found the Leland Children’s Center and later creating and running Humanities Week at the Leland School. She was also a member of the newly formed Leland Garden Club. During this time she attended several art classes at the Old Art Building.

In 1987 Margie moved to Ann Arbor to pursue a career in fundraising at the University of Michigan. Her last position was with UMS, the performing arts presenting arm of the University. Upon retirement Margie returned to Leland as a permanent resident and has pursued her interest in painting.

Margie joined the OAB Board in 2023.

Cindy Meeker has been visiting Leland since the early 70’s when she and her husband George were married. She and George raised their family in Troy, Ohio, vacationing here in Leland with George’s family since the early 70’s. They retired and made Leland their full time residence in 2014.

Cindy was born and raised in Rome, Georgia and graduated from Hollins College. She was an active community member in Troy, serving on the Troy Foundation Distribution Committee, the United Way, and chaired the board of The Overfield School.

She and George are embracing life in Leland, taking part in various community efforts. Cindy is active in the Little Garden Club, co-chair of Garden Tour, a Bridge mentor for the Leland Schools and a member of the Leland United Methodist Church.

Cindy is extremely happy to be a part of the vibrant life of the Old Art Building and is currently serving as Secretary.

Julie Ridenour escaped to Leland whenever possible for nearly three decades, before retiring from her position as President of the Steelcase Foundation and making her long-held Leland home her permanent residence in 2021.

Julie is a native of Grand Rapids, Michigan, where she served her community in many capacities, including an elected position as a school board member of the East Grand Rapids Public Schools, chairman of the Mercy Health St. Mary’s Hospital Board of Trustee, board and guild member for Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital, and board member and Policy Committee co-chair for the Michigan Council of Foundations. She is a graduate of Michigan State University, with a B.A. in Political Science, and has enjoyed post-graduate professional studies at both Harvard University and Oxford University. She has shared that love of Leland — and the OAB — with her daughter, son-in-law, and grandchild.

As an observer from afar (and seasonally) Julie has watched the Old Art Building grow in its mission and purpose to become the artistic and community center for the Leland area. She is honored and delighted to volunteer in numerous capacities for the Old Art Building, and continue the direction provided by its leaders and volunteers. Julie joined the OAB board in 2022.

After over 30 years of visiting, Kim and her family relocated to Leland ten years ago. The geographic beauty of the area and the folks whom keep active in the health and wellness of the community are daily energy boosters.

Kim respectfully looks forward to working with everyone to continue the OAB’s mission statement to: promote the arts and cultural enrichment, to provide a gathering place for the community, and to preserve the Old Art Building for generations.

Kristin Hussey is a professional artist, currently working out of her art studio in Leland, Michigan. She graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Architecture and Bachelor of Environmental Design from North Carolina State University in 2011, and has pursued different avenues of design work since that time. Her work has been featured in noteworthy publications including Southern Living, Detroit Design Magazine, The Knot, Buzz Feed, and Style Me Pretty. When she's not painting, you can find Kristin at her shop, The Warren, where her artwork and products are sold.

Originally from Birmingham, Michigan, Kerry spent her summers in Leland until 2008 when she moved here full time with her husband Ross and their two boys, Colin and Griffin. She has a BS in political science from the University of Michigan and an MBA in marketing from Northwestern University and worked in residential lighting product development and marketing for about 10 years.

Kerry served on the LEF board for 6 years and is a member of the Little Garden Club. She became a certified yoga teacher in 2009 and has been teaching at the Old Art Building and area studios since. She is particularly passionate about gardening, interiors and the arts.

Kerry joined the board in 2010 and is currently serving as President.

Kit is a native of Toledo, Ohio. She and her husband Jim began summer visits to Leland in the 1980s, purchased a cottage in 2005 and have lived here full time since 2019.

Kit graduated from Smith College with a degree in Art History and had a brief career as a paralegal before starting a family. In the process of raising two children, she opened and operated a popular children’s bookshop called ‘Full of the Dickens’ in Sandusky Ohio.

The value of volunteer service was instilled in her by her family at a young age. In Ohio, she was vice president of the board of the Friends of Erie MetroParks, was a children’s advocate with CASA, facilitated a bereaved parent group with Jim through the local hospice and was volunteer coordinator of the gift shop at the Dayton Art Institute. In Leland she is a member of the Little Garden Club, volunteers at Samaritan’s Closet and crafts books bags with a group of friends for PoWer! Book Bags which distributes literacy supplies to children. Since moving to Leland, the opportunity to volunteer at the OAB has been one of her greatest pleasures and she is honored to now serve on the board.

Kit joined the board in 2023.

Originally from Birmingham, Michigan, Judy first fell in love with Leland in the mid 1960’s when her parents bought a cottage here. She remained a regular summer visitor until she moved to Leland full-time in 2000. Judy received her bachelor's degree from the University of Rochester. She worked at Boride Products as Employee Relations Manager and also lived and worked in Chicago and San Francisco.

Since living here full time she has been actively involved with ShareCare, the Leelanau Conservancy, the Leelanau Historical Museum, Leelanau Players, and served as President of The Little Garden Club. She enjoys hiking and building trails at the Frederick Farm in Maple City.

Judy served on the OAB board from 2010 to 2022.

Trudy joined the board in 2003. She quickly made an impact wth her contributions to both the Fundraising and Program Committees. She helped organize and hang several different exhibits over the years, including Leland Air and Open Studio annual shows. Her flower arrangements add a colorful dimension to every show! She has been a loyal Open Studio painter, demonstrating an ability to find and explore new visual sensibilities in her work continually and fearlessly.

Trudy has been much appreciated for her thoughtful participation at board meetings. She always listened with a critical ear, fine tuning proposals which kept them in the realm of practicality. We are a more solid and relevant organization because of her 18 years on the board.