Bay View is governed by a nine-member board of trustees. The board appoints an executive director to oversee the day-to-day operations of the Association. The executive director is assisted by a professional staff.
Barbara Pfeil, Executive Director | Jennifer Cronk, Coordinator for Administrative & Executive Services |
Sean Twomey, Associate Chautauqua Administrative Coordinator | Lori Willingham, Comptroller |
Michelle Hansen, Director of Donor Relations and Communications | Ed Woelfert, Accounting Analyst |
Zach Panoff, Manager of Information Technology, Marketing and Communications | Ann Schaefer, Accounting Analyst |
Andi Ver Planck, Russell Hall Office Clerk | Patrick Kilkenny, Operations Manager |
Jake Porath, Superintendent of Buildings and Grounds | Rance Carpenter, Assistant Superintendent of Buildings and Grounds |
Executive Director
Barbara Pfeil
Barbara grew up in Crown Point, Indiana. She attended Indiana University and received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Finance. She began her career in corporate finance, consolidating international financial results for Cummins Engine Company in Columbus, Indiana and then pursued opportunities at Unisys Corporation in Plymouth, Michigan, ranging from managing cost accounting to analyzing engineering budgets. Since 1994 Barbara has served as Finance Director for nonprofit organizations. She served as project director at Fr. Gabriel Richard High School in Ann Arbor for all aspects of a $20M / 91,000 sq. ft. new high school construction project. She has also provided financial analysis and management for two health and human service agencies in Washtenaw County. Barbara spent many summers vacationing on Torch Lake and is happy to have found a vintage home near downtown Petoskey in 2016. She loves being a part of Bay View Association. She is passionate about her Great Danes, gardening, antiques and enjoys reading mysteries!
Comptroller
Lori Willingham
Lori Willingham grew up in eastern Pennsylvania near Allentown. She attended Palm Beach State and South Georgia State College where she received a degree in Business Administration. She also received formal training in Financial Edge at “Blackbaud University” in Charleston, SC. Before relocating to Michigan she lived in Douglas, Georgia with her son and daughter, where she worked for Satilla Regional Library System for over 10 years as the Administrative Assistant. She enjoys spending time with her daughter and grandson and is hopeful her son will be moving up here as well. Lori also enjoys reading and sewing in her spare time.
Manager of Information Technology, Marketing and Communications
Zach Panoff
Zach Panoff grew up in Petoskey, Michigan and graduated from Petoskey High School. He attended Lawrence Technological University and the University of Iowa, attaining B.S. in Architecture and an M.S. in Urban and Regional Planning, respectively. He has previously worked in the planning department for the City of Charlevoix, Michigan, and was an adjunct professor at North Central Michigan College. Zach loves the Petoskey area and all it has to offer, and he spends his free time playing hockey and entertaining his dogs.
Coordinator for Administrative & Executive Services
Jennifer Cronk
Jennifer Cronk grew up in Amarillo, TX. She attended Amarillo College and received an Associate Degree in Office Administration. She met and married her husband in Amarillo and they soon relocated to northern Michigan where her husband grew up. Jennifer then went on to receive her Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice from Lake Superior State University. She has worked as an Administrative Assistant at Birchwood Farms Golf & Country Club in Harbor Springs, MI for the past five years. Jennifer loves spending time with her family and attending all of her kid’s multiple sporting events. Jennifer also likes camping and fishing and just enjoying the beautiful northern Michigan outdoors!
Associate Chautauqua Administrative Coordinator
Sean Twomey
Sean Twomey is the Associate Chautauqua Administrative Coordinator. He moved here 16 years ago from downtown Chicago, where he was pursuing a PhD at UIC’s Program for Writers. While there, he mostly taught composition courses and the writing of fiction and nonfiction prose. Sean never turned in his dissertation, though he did successfully defend it. He has an MFA from The Naropa Institute, now Naropa University, in Writing and Poetics—fiction. Most recently, you could find Sean ringing up people’s groceries at the Grain Train. He loves to ski and hike with his dog, Floki, the Siberian Velvethead.
Director of Donor Relations and Communications
Michelle Hansen
Michelle Hansen grew up in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and attended Creston High School and Aquinas College. Michelle has a Certificate in Fundraising Management from the Lilly School of Philanthropy at Indiana University. As a cottager, she volunteers for the Bay View Prayer Shawl committee and ushers at Worship service. Michelle loves Bay View, is a lifetime member of Campus Club, enjoys gardening, knitting, and finding Petoskey stones.
Accounts Payable Analyst
Ed Woelfert
Our Accounts Payable Analyst, Ed Woelfert came to us from Petoskey Plastics where he spent 11 years with their accounting team, and 4 years with their I.T. team. Originally from the thumb area of Michigan, he graduated from Boyne City High School and Lake Superior State University with a B.S. in General Business and Accounting. He lives in Boyne City with his wife and two children, and enjoys home improvement projects, tinkering with technology, and spending time outdoors on the trail, river or lake in his spare time.
Accounts Receivable Analyst
Ann Schaefer
Ann Schaefer grew up in Petoskey, Michigan and attended Central Michigan University, studying Geology and Fine Art. She has also lived in Wyoming and Florida, where she built a solid foundation in Payroll and Human Resources. Before joining Bay View, Ann worked for a CPA Firm, adding Public Accounting to her skillset. Ann also owns a home in Calumet, Michigan, where she enjoys making memories with her husband and two sons. As a freelance artist, Ann spends her free time in nature, painting in various mediums, jewelry making, and rock/gemstone collecting.
Superintendent of Buildings & Grounds
Jake Porath
Jake grew up in Charlevoix and received a bachelor’s degree in Construction Management from Michigan State University. Jake owned and operated a successful residential construction company in Charlevoix for the past 20 years. Jake has established many positive relationships with home owners, managed construction crews, and is familiar with all aspects of construction and maintenance. Looking for a more consistent schedule to allow him more time for family, Jake closed his business and began working for Bay View.
Assistant Superintendent of Buildings & Grounds
Rance Carpenter
Rance Carpenter grew up in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Rance attended Lake Superior State University where he secured a degree in Geology. After College, Rance accepted a position as a project engineer with GHD. During his time at GHD, he traveled around the U.S. working on large scale environmental remediation projects. After a few years of traveling, Rance realized he wanted to be back in northern Michigan and began looking for jobs in the Petoskey Area. Rance landed a job with Elmer’s Crane and Dozer as a project Manager/Estimator where he worked on jobs ranging from site developments to streetscapes and everything in-between. After working with Bay View on a few projects, Rance gained interest in the Association and decided to pursue the Assistant Superintendent to Building and Grounds Position. Rance and his wife Jamie make the most of there up north lifestyle in both the summer and winter. In the summer they are often out canoeing the Pigeon River, boating on the inland waterway or tearing up the local mount biking trails. In the Winter they are often out Cross-country skiing, snowboarding, or ice fishing. Rance and Jamie can also be found working on their small farm “Willowfield” where they are working towards organic vegetable production.
Operations Manager
Patrick Kilkenny
Patrick is a graduate of Northern Michigan University where he earned his Bachelors of Science degree in Planning with a minor in Environmental Conservation. Patrick brings valuable supervisory experience working with the federal, state, and local government, as well as the private sector and non-profits in fields such as: municipal planning and operations, historic preservation, economic and site development, landscape design and maintenance, grant writing, geographic information systems, arboriculture, and natural resource conservation. Patrick joined the Bay View team in 2022, and is excited to help enhance the association’s social, economic, and historic preservation success within a diverse community of seasonal residents, programming, and staff. When he is not at Bay View, you can find Patrick and his family skiing and snowboarding, hiking, biking, hunting and fishing.