Board of Trustees

CHAIR – Dr. Mary Beth Hardwicke

On July 1, 2021, Dr. Mary Beth Hardwicke became Chair of The Leelanau School’s Board of Trustees. Her six previous years of service included a role as Board secretary. 

Dr. Hardwicke received her B.S. in Zoology with High Distinction from the University of Michigan and her Medical Degree from Wayne State University School of Medicine. She spent the first ten years of her career in Medical Education, directing an Internal Medicine Residency Program before forming her own practice.

During her career, Mary Beth has been the recipient of numerous awards, including multiple nominations as a “Top Doc” in Detroit Hour Magazine, the “Outstanding Clinical Faculty Award” from Wayne State University, Detroit Crain’s Business Health Care Hero, and was named “One of the Best Primary Care Physicians in the Country” by Town and Country Magazine.

After retiring to Northern Michigan, Mary Beth co-chaired the Interlochen Public Library’s successful Capital Campaign, raising $3.2M. She currently serves on the Library’s Board of Trustees and oversees their “Living your Best Life” Health and Wellness series. She volunteers weekly at the Traverse Health Clinic, serving a largely indigent population, and leads seminars and lectures for local groups such as the Traverse City Senior Center and the Glen Lake Woman’s Club.

Mary Beth understands and embraces Leelanau’s mission, and her nephew Travis Hardwicke is a proud 2015 graduate. She believes Leelanau helped shape him into a confident, independent, forward-thinking young man. In her opinion, “Leelanau would be a great school for every child in the country. It allows them to be safe, it recognizes them as individuals, and it lets them achieve their full potential.” As a Board Chair, she hopes to continue the school on its current path, allowing its phenomenal academic and residential life staff to work their magic.

VICE CHAIR – Joan Conway

Joan is the parent of a 2014 graduate.  She teaches English as a Second Language at Western Michigan University and serves as a community leader in the Kalamazoo/Battle Creek areas. In addition to her skills as an educator, she has insight into the international student market and has been a staunch supporter of Leelanau both in terms of referrals and financial support.

SECRETARY – Gretchen Knoblock, ’82

Gretchen is a local business owner and alumnae of The Leelanau School (1982).  Ms. Knoblock is an example of the entrepreneurial spirit of the Leelanau alumni community.  After a 17 year career in developing multi-family housing solutions across the nation, Knoblock graduated from Purdue University and launched a successful interior design company, New Leaf Interiors.  Her national success allowed her to base her business in Leelanau County, which she fell in love with while a Leelanau School student. Since relocating to the area in 2009, she has volunteered her time and energy to several local organizations, including Children’s Advocacy Center, Women’s Council of Realtors, and The Leelanau School. Knoblock has been an active ambassador for The Leelanau School since her graduation. Knoblock’s focus on local engagement and alumni relations, and her commitment to the mission of the school, which she experienced as a student, will ensure tremendous stewardship of The Leelanau School.

TREASURER – Norman Wheeler

Norm is a long-time resident of Empire, Michigan who taught Science and English for 32 years at The Leelanau School. He still serves as the school’s Director of the Lanphier Observatory, hosting public stargazing two nights a week in the summer on Sleeping Bear Bay. He is also the co-founder and continuing host of the Beach Bards Bonfire, a gathering for by heart poetry, storytelling, and music on Friday nights in high summer at The Leelanau School Beach. 

Norm is married to Mimi Wheeler, founder of Grocer’s Daughter Chocolate. Together they have two grown children, both of whom attended The Leelanau School for high school, and four grandchildren. Norm’s son Jacob is the founding editor of the Glen Arbor Sun newspaper, and his daughter Julia works for the Danish International Studies program at the University of Minnesota. A true renaissance man, Norm plays music locally and continues to support the arts in many ways including as one of the people who helped build the first stage behind the Lake St. Studio for the first season of the regionally beloved Manitou Music Festival many years ago.

MEMBER – Patricia Denton

Tricia and her family reside in the Maple City area (just about 15 minutes from The Leelanau School). She has been the chair of our Auction Committee and has served on our Strategic Planning Committee, as well as volunteering for our alumni reunions, as time permits.  Tricia regularly shares information with faculty and staff about opportunities to support student learning through connections, events, volunteering and resources outside of the school, and brings guest speakers and learning opportunities to the school. She is employed with the Glen Lake Association as an Ambassador and in this position recruits and educates membership for the Glen Lake-Crystal River Watershed Guardian Program and Michigan Shoreland Stewardship Program. Prior to that, Tricia was the Director of a local non-profit that supported families in need. She has a BS in Geography from MSU, an MS from Montana State University in Earth Sciences and was a Graduate Research Fellow for NASA.

Tricia’s daughter, Cecelia, is a graduate of The Leelanau School class of 2020.

MEMBER – Barbara Garrow

Barbara has over 25 years of professional experience developing strategies, leading teams, and implementing transformational initiatives to improve organizational performance. As a Business Strategy & Transformation Consultant, Barbara advises business leaders on strategy, organizational change, and competitive approaches to the marketplace.  Clients have ranged in industry focus from transportation to life sciences to consumer goods to non-profit enterprises.  Previously, Barbara held various senior leadership roles within A.P. Moller-Maersk, a $60 billion global conglomerate.  

Barbara has lived, studied, and worked throughout the U.S. and internationally.  She earned an MBA from Columbia University and London Business School and completed her undergraduate degrees in Marketing and German from Miami University, Ohio. Barb currently lives in the Colorado mountains near Denver with her husband and three dogs. Their daughter, Belinda, is a Leelanau School alumna and now attends the University of Puget Sound. Daughter Caroline is pursuing post-graduate studies at the Trinity College Dublin in Ireland.

MEMBER – Bruce Hood

Bruce Hood joined The Leelanau in 1992 as an agile instructor sharing his wisdom and versatility for thirty one years before retiring this past spring.  Among his many duties, Bruce taught AP Chem, Biology, Earth Sciences, Ecology, Ornithology, Anatomy & Physiology, skiing, and cooking, and was chair of the science department. He started the Pottery program in 2010, adhering to the Bernard Leach/Shoji Hamada tradition. During summers, Bruce has worked with Leelanau colleagues Rob Karner and Joe Blondia for the Glen Lake Association’s swimmer’s itch mitigation program. Bruce is a dedicated skier, mountain biker, and hunter, and together, Bruce and Laura (another faculty legend) tend a big garden with their Telford Farm community, providing most of the food for their dining table. Bruce and Laura are the proud parents of children Ian and Jessie. Bruce was formerly the faculty liaison to the board and has since transitioned to full-time trustee.

MEMBER – Joseph P. Larkin, ’87

J.P. Larkin is the product of a large family from a small Michigan town. His real introduction to the world began in the fall of 1983 when he attended his freshman year of high school at The Leelanau School. That momentum and educational traction permitted the opportunity to graduate from the Claremont Collages ten years later with two BA degrees in Organizational Studies (business management) and Organizational Industrial Psychology. These degrees were complemented by a minor in English and graduate coursework at the Peter Drucker School of Management.

J.P. resides in Park City, Utah, with his wife, Karina, and their two children, Eliana and Tobin. His family also has a second home in Shields, Michigan. To J. P., home is where the seasons are, and he has found the sunny skiable slopes of Park City to be a favorable location to homestead. Naturally, you can take the boy out of Michigan, but you can’t keep him from coming back to admire the beauty of Michigan’s forests, lakes, history, and hospitality.

Professionally, J. P.’s career has focused on working with people in various human resource-oriented positions, in industries varying from biomedical, organizational, hospital, luxury hospitality, real estate development, and manufacturing. (Bio-Rad Laboratories, Franklin Covey, Stein Eriksen Lodge and the Univ. of Washington Medical Center).  J.P. has worked directly for Steven R. Covey in the industry of time management and corporate goal-setting. Currently, he oversees HR, operations, in-house legal (non-attorney), real estate acquisitions, employee housing, and a host of other responsibilities for a national food and equipment manufacturing company with a global customer base. Additionally, J. P. provides HR and business development consulting for several smaller companies.

J. P. has a passion and mission to help others realize their untapped potential. He believes that training and development are often overlooked after formal education ends. J.P. believes the greatest gift educational institutions can offer isn’t content or subject matter but the gift of learning how to learn, a skill he learned during his Leelanau days and still influences his relationships employees, friends, clients, and the community. 

MEMBER – Peggy Miller

Peggy, husband Geno, and daughter Annie have lived in Leland for over thirty years, where Peggy had an interior design business and retail shop for many years. Peggy’s daughter Annie Miller, graduated as a four-year senior from Leelanau in 2015. Peggy is involved with a local non-profit, 5Loaves2Fish where they help to feed the marginalized and homeless in Traverse City and the surrounding areas.

MEMBER – Lisa Pappas, ’82

Lisa joins the Leelanau Board of Trustees with nearly 40 years of experience in marketing communications, fundraising, and alumni relations. She is the Director of Communications and Creative Strategy for the Office of Advancement at the Stephen M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan. Lisa and her husband, Michael Weiss, enjoy living in their Mid-Century Modern home on the outskirts of Ann Arbor, MI (Scio Township). The two enjoy gardening, playing acoustic music, spending time on their property in Burdickville, and doting on their three cats. Lisa also enjoys researching local history (including publishing her works with Michigan History Magazine) and serving on the Scio Land Preservation Commission.

MEMBER – Bill Winslow, ’58

Bill graduated from Leelanau School in 1958 and was student council President during his time here. He attended Western Michigan University post-Leelanau and received his BS and MBA from Western. Since 2015, Bill has worked at Blickle USA Wheels and Casters as Head of Business Development.  For 13 years prior to that, he was The President of Colson Group, which also manufactured wheels and casters. Bill served as a manufacturing consultant between his time with The Colson Group and Blickle. Bill previously served on Leelanau board from 2013 to 2015, and was active on the Committee on Trustees, recruiting new board members, as well as opening doors to neighbors and friends with no other affiliation to Leelanau. Bill is married to Francie and has several grown children and grandchildren. In addition to enjoying time with family, Bill is an avid bicyclist, runner, and skier.

MEMBER – Armen Vartian

Armen is a former Leelanau parent and lawyer from Bloomington, Indiana who specializes in legal matters relating to the art and collectibles industry and has represented auction houses, galleries, collectors, investors, museums, artists, and institutions throughout the U.S. and abroad since 1981. He and his wife Candice Foss are the proud parents of Leelanau alumnus Eliot Vartian-Foss ’18.

 Armen says: “During Eliot’s time at The Leelanau School I was so impressed by the wealth of knowledge and the teaching prowess of Leelanau’s faculty, as well as, of course, the incredible campus along beautiful Lake Michigan.  Candice and I enjoy being at Leelanau School whenever we can, and are excited to see how our small contributions have made such a big difference there. The Leelanau School was so important to our family that I was happy to say yes when asked to serve The Leelanau School as a Trustee.”

FACULTY MEMBER – Elizabeth Blondia

Elizabeth is a long serving, tursted, and celebrated faculty member at The Leelanau School. She is the chair of the Humanities Department, teachers hostrioy and literature classes, sponsors Student Council, advises the Senior Seminar, and teaches several popular Winter Term and recreational offerings. She has her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Valparaiso University and her Master’s Degree in Education from DePaul University. Elizabeth is married to Joe Blondia (science teacher/chair) and has two college-age children, Kate and Jamie. She enjoys reading, cooking, hiking, traveling, and playing viola. Elizabeth will serve as a non-voting faculty liaison on the Board.

CHAIR EMERITUS – Robert McNutt, ’55   Bob was a member of the Board of The Leelanau School from 1970 to 1991 – serving as Chair from 1975 to 1980. After an 11 year hiatus, Bob rejoined the Board in 2002, and again served as Chair from 2005-2015. Bob speaks passionately about The Leelanau School and credits Leelanau with making him the man he is today.

Bob continues to be engaged by offering his assistance with any number of projects, including his tireless support of fundraising efforts for The Leelanau School.

TRUSTEE EMERITUS – Sue Miller, ’68

TRUSTEE EMERITUS – Patte Richards, ‘49