Bob Anderson—Bob retired from a thirty five year international career in manufacturing plant management for General Motors, followed by consulting and ten years teaching at the University of Michigan. He has served in a number of church, community and charity leadership positions, notably as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Lansing Community College Foundation; President of the Beaver Island Association; and currently is a member of the Great Lakes Islands Alliance Steering Committee.

Bob was drawn to Beaver Island by his wife, Alana, who vacationed here since childhood. They have owned the harbor vacation rental, Isle Haven, for thirty five years and built their current home on Western Shores in 2002. Bob and Alana have two married children and four grandchildren who love to travel together and vacation on Beaver Island.

Kevin Boyle—Kevin retired as a partner of Latham & Watkins LLP after 31 years of practice as a communications, technology and information security lawyer.  He finished building a home on the Island in 2004 and retired here in 2015. He also serves on the boards of the Beaver Island Association, Northern Initiatives and the NMU Foundation, and as the Chair of the Island Township’s  Joint Telecommunications Advisory Committee.  He is a volunteer programming & robotics teacher at BICS, and is the lead mentor for bIrobot, the BICS robotics team. Kevin is also an owner at Whiskey Point Brewing Company, where you can find him working behind the bar. Kevin helped found and helps to run WVBI. He serves as our Vice President for Media Operations.

Ken McDonald—Ken is a retired executive of Alticor Inc. and managing director of Quixtar. He built an Island home in 1992 and retired here in 2005. Ken was active in local school activities while his son attended and graduated from school here—and now focuses on community improvement efforts. He is a past member of the Beaver Island Association Board where he managed their annual Beach Clean-Up and, as a member of the PABI Board, led its last Capital Campaign. He is an avid outdoorsman, traveler, and hunter. He is chair of our Board. 

Lita Popke—Lita is the daughter of Kay McDonough Masini who was born and raised on Beaver Island and has been a significant contributor to the art community here. Lita is an attorney and former judge. She sat in the Wayne County Circuit Court from 2000-2021 where she served as a Judge in the Family, Civil and Business divisions of the Court. She held numerous leadership roles including Chief Judge Pro Tem, Presiding Judge, and as a member on various committees. She is also a past-President and officer of the Michigan Judges Association. In 2021, she began working for JAMS, a national alternative dispute resolution company, doing private Mediations, Arbitrations and other court reference work. 

Deborah Robert—Deb was born and raised on Beaver Island and has taught for 30 years at Beaver Island Community School. She is a wife and a mother of three–ages 25, 20, and 18 all raised on the Island. Deb is a Grand Valley graduate and is a Nationally Board Certified Teacher. Deb believes in volunteerism and tries to spend her summer months helping our community thrive. She has served as the co-chair for Vacation Bible School and is a past president of the Holy Cross Altar Society. She organizes funeral luncheons and fundraisers, the Homecoming Dinner and for many years organized the July 4th Carnival. She has been a regular volunteer at the BIC Center. Says Deb, “I am deeply committed to Beaver Island and believe very strongly in giving back to a community that has given me so much!”

Steven Scott—Steve is a retired CPA, with 38 years of experience in taxation and a specialty in trust & estate planning, compliance and settlement. He was a shareholder in the tax department of Maner Costerisan PC in Lansing, MI. Steve has served on a number of not-for-profit boards including: past treasurer of the Lansing Area AIDS Network, past president of the Greater Lansing Estate Planning Council, past treasurer of the Listening Ear of East Lansing, and most recently the past treasurer of the Beaver Island Music Festival.

He grew up in Plymouth, MI and graduated in 1977 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Accounting from Michigan State University, where he met his wife, Patricia “Trish” Scott. They currently reside in the Lansing area and built a second home on Cable’s Bay in 1997/1998. Steve & Trish discovered Beaver Island on a one-week vacation in the summer of 1990. They were both attracted to the natural beauty of the island and its tight-knit community.

Steve’s personal interests include a love of music, photography, and birding. He’s a drummer and has been playing the drums for a Lansing area church for more than ten years. He can be seen behind a drum kit on the island from time to time. Steve is our Treasurer.

Audrey Vandyke—Audrey spent 20 years as a government contracts trial attorney with Navy Office of General Counsel, and another ten years supervising the litigation office for her command. She also represented the federal government in rate hearings before state public utilities commissions. While living in Northern Virginia she volunteered in various capacities for the Potomac River Jazz Club and the Northern Virginia Ragtime society, including president, vice president, and newsletter editor. She notes that some of these volunteer positions were more by default than approbation.

Audrey retired in June 2011 and by August 2011 had moved with her furniture, her books, and her early jazz sheet music collection, to Beaver Island. The island had been the site of many summer family vacations, but as with many local transplants, she has grown to love all seasons on the Island.

Audrey greatly appreciates the sense of community extended to her and her housemate since moving here, and hopes to contribute to that sense of community with service on the Beaver Island Community Center Board.

Alice Belfy—After spending her summers on the island as a youth, Alice lives in the house where her father was born. Born and raised in Detroit, Alice has spent the last 43 years on the Island. She is a graduate of Michigan State University with a BA in Business Administration and retired in 2016 from Beaver Island Community School after 29 years with the district. Alice served on the Finance Council for Holy Cross Church and has taught religious education for the parish. She was elected to the St. James Township board where she spent a brief time as Clerk. Alice enjoys nature, camping, and anything outdoors. She joined PABI’s staff as a Finance Assistant in the summer of 2021.

Paul Cole—Paul serves as the Managing Director of the BIC Center.  He was raised on the island and returned after a career on the mainland to retire, but somehow wound up running the Beaver Island Chamber of Commerce.  Paul also serves on the St. James Township Board.

Robert Cole—Robert was born and raised on Beaver Island. He worked for years as Director of the Oral History Project for the Beaver Island Historical Society. Off-island he worked in Events Production at adult education centers, was an English tutor to community college students, and managed digital branding and online content for clients in the health and wellness fields. He is also a published poet and writer. He joined PABI as Support Staff/Digital Content producer in the summer of 2023.

Shirley Gatliff Cole—Shirley is a sixth generation descendant of the Arranmore Irish who emigrated to Beaver Island in the mid-1800’s. Her home atop the post office hill has been in her family for almost a century. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminal Justice and excelled in her career as a Special Agent for the United States Treasury Department, receiving national honors as Agent of the Year for her achievements. Shirley retired from government service in 2015 and moved home to the island in 2018. She has been married to Paul for over 31 years, and they have three daughters who summered and worked on the island for various businesses. When not planning events for the BIC Center, Shirley loves the beach, her books, and visits with family and friends.

Cindy Ricksgers–Cindy was raised in Lapeer, Michigan, but always dreamed of living on Beaver Island, where her father grew up, and where the family spent a precious week or two each summer. It seemed like a magical place!

Cindy first moved here in 1978. Since then, though jobs, education and other conflicts sometimes pulled her away, she has considered Beaver Island her home. After finishing a Master of Fine Arts Degree at Michigan State University, and with both of her daughters grown, in 1993, she came back here to live year-round.

Cindy worked for more than 20 years as the morning waitress at the Shamrock. She followed  that with brief stints at the Beaver Island Lodge, the Old Rectory, Dalwhinnie and McDonough’s Market before settling in as a clerk at Powers Hardware Store, where she spent another 20 years. For a few years, Cindy and her sister, Sheila, ran Seven Sisters, their own business featuring “earth friendly products for kitchen, garden and bath.” She also held the position of Phragmites Coordinator for the two townships, and served as editor of the Beaver Beacon. 

Through the years, Cindy has continued to nurture and develop her creative tendencies. She publishes a blog about many and any things (cindyricksgers.wordpress.com) that has expanded to become her Island Reflections radio show on WVBI. Cindy is an accomplished artist, working mainly in painting, collage and print-making. Her work is held in many private collections, and featured in three Michigan galleries, including right here at the Beaver Island Studio and Gallery.

Now at the Beaver Island Community Center, Cindy has experienced the culmination of many of her passions: customer service; an ability to interact with interesting people; the chance to bring art to the community; and, from the front windows, the heart-stopping view of our harbor. Living the dream!

Vince Ebersoldt—Vince has been a regular visitor to the island with his wife Meg and their sons Campbell and Levi for 21 years, and the past 9 years as a homeowner. The Owner and President of Ebersoldt + Associates Architecture in St. Louis, Missouri, Vince is active throughout the country specializing in multi-family housing, historic tax credit consulting, historic architecture, and real estate development.  He is involved in several philanthropical activities. On the island, he has been active with both PABI and the Beaver Island Historical Society, where his firm provided architectural services for the addition to the Print Shop Museum.  

Dr. Donald Fix—Practiced Emergency Medicine in West Michigan for 36 years. Married to Barb for 42 years, they continue to enjoy their 3 children, 5 grandchildren, boating, cooking, reading, and travel. Sailing to the Island in the early ‘90s, they built their home here before retiring here in 2012. An avid techno-geek/handy-man—Don enjoys computing, home theater, photography, carpentry, plumbing, electrical and HVAC work. He has served on the board of the Beaver Island Association and is a past Vice President of PABI.

Judy Lanier Gallagher—Respected educator, professor, and dean emeritus from MSU. Visiting the Island in 1972, her family became seasonal residents in 1974. She retired here in 2000, ran a local business, served on the school board, township board, PABI board, and as BICS Superintendent and Principal. She enjoys her large family who visit often—as well as cooking, entertaining, and nature walks with Splash, her black lab. She served as PABI’s President during the initial fund-raising for, and the construction of, the BIC Center and then for the initial years of its operation.

Eric Hodgson—Once a pilot for the local airlines, he now owns and operates the landmark Shamrock Bar & Restaurant, Harbor Market, Daddy Franks, Beaver Island Lodge, Stoney Acres, and Beachcomber—while making a little time for the Great Lakes boating he enjoys with Dana (his Island-born wife) and their son, Liam. Eric participates in many community activities and serves on the Board of the Charlevoix State Bank.  He is the immediate past chair of PABI’s Board.

Erin Martin-Holmes—Erin was born and raised on Beaver Island. She moved to North Carolina and resided there for 25 years spending some of her time working in Early Childhood Education. She moved back to the island in 2019 and now works at Island Energies and, during the summer, at the Circle M. Things she enjoys most are spending time with family and friends (including her son Zander Holmes), hiking, traveling, reading, and cross stitching.