Asking for your input: Most Influential People of Marquette
The Latest from Marquette, MI by Brian Cabell
Dear Man About Town subscribers,
I'm preparing an upcoming MAT post on "The Most Influential People in Marquette.” I'm looking for input from you and many of your neighbors. It's not a scientific survey, nor is it a popularity contest (Who has the most votes?!!!). Rather, hopefully, it's a thoughtful analysis—with wide-ranging input--of which people in the Marquette area are having the greatest impact on how and where we live, what we do, how we're forging our future, and how we view ourselves.
Could be business types, developers, politicians, academics, leaders of institutions, social media influencers, media leaders and personalities...or anybody else who, you believe, impacts our lives.
Note: These are not necessarily people whom you like or agree with--just people who are wielding substantial influence over the Marquette community. And they have to live in Greater Marquette, not in some distant town or country.
Note #2: These are not necessarily the most prominent people in our community, nor the wealthiest, nor the most generous, nor those holding the most prestigious positions—although all of those characteristics could be considered.
Note #3: This is not a recognition of past accomplishment, though that can be considered, but more a look at what these people are doing today, and how they will be influencing us in the future.
The list below is absolutely incomplete (lacking younger names, for example), but it can be a starting point for possible people to consider. I'm looking for maybe 5-10 names from you (or fewer), with a brief explanation of why you consider this person influential. Your own names will not be mentioned in the article.
If you want to send this email to friends/associates, feel free. I'd love to hear from them, as well. You can either directly reply to me from this email or send me your names in a separate email.
Thanks in advance for your attention to this, and if you have better things to do with your time, like feeding the dog or eating nachos or catching a quick nap, I certainly understand.
Brian Cabell
briancabell@gmail.com
Bob Mahaney, developer
Michele Butler, businesswoman
Bill Digneit, educator, businessman
Patrick and Alyssa Digneit, businesspersons
Joe Constance, developer, businessman
Barry Polzin, architect
Bugsy Sailor, businessman, photographer, media influencer
Keith Glendon, businessman
Joe Thiel, SmartZone CEO
Tom Carpenter, BLP director
Tom Vear and Jen Ray, businesspersons
Stosh Wasik and Logan Stauber, businessmen
David Manson and Andy Langlois, businessmen
Andrea and Weston Pernsteiner, businesspersons
Matthew Songer, inventor, businessman
Dave Ollila, inventor, developer
Lori Hauswirth, NTN executive director
Todd Poquette, 906 Adventure Club director
Eric Jorgenson, Marquette Mountain owner
Mary Tavernini Dowling, Beacon House CEO
Peggy Frazier, Lake Superior Theatre president
Karl Numinen, attorney
Carl Lindquist, Superior Watershed Partnership executive director
Brock Tessman, NMU president
Gar Atchison, UPHS CEO
Zack Sedgwick, MAPS superintendent
Rick Rhoades, WLUC GM
Andrew LaCombe, WLUC news director
Ann Troutman, Mining Journal publisher
Bud Sargent, Mining Journal managing editor
Justin Carlson, media influencer
Karl Bohnak, writer, broadcaster
Jenn Hill, State Representative
Karen Kovacs, city manager
Cody Mayer, mayor
Sally Davis, city commissioner
Fred Stonehouse, city commissioner, author
Jenna Smith, city commissioner
Jessica Hanley, city commissioner
Jermey Ottaway, city commissioner
Scott Erbisch, county administrator
Gerald Corkin, county commission chairman
John Depetro, county commissioner
Joe Derocha, county commissioner
Stephen Adamini, county commissioner
Bill Nordeen, county commissioner
Karen Alholm, county commissioner