Des Worthington is the owner of Worthington Fundraising Solutions. She has spent 30 years working with charitably minded families and organizations to achieve great things and has led several campaigns for both start-up and large charities, resulting in preserving land for future generations, building medical facilities, and sustaining important community programs. She volunteers on the Finance Council for the Diocese of Gaylord.

She has been a member of the Traverse City Economic Club since 2008 and a board member since 2022. She currently serves on the Membership/Marketing Committee, on the Policy/Procedures Committee and as TCEC President. Des recommends board or Club volunteer experience as a great way to meet interesting people.

Des says her favorite part of being a Club member is meeting up with friends from throughout the region. She enjoys sailing and other outdoor activities with her family.

Rebecca Teahen is a Financial Advisor with The Rivard Teahen Group of Baird Private Wealth Management. Rebecca is a board member of the Northport Promise and 20 Fathoms as a member of the Traverse City Rotary Club. 

Rebecca has been a member of the TCEC since 2011 and board member since 2022. She currently serves as the Vice President.

Rebecca recommends board or Club volunteer experience since it provides an opportunity to contribute where her talents will have the greatest impact as a new TCEC board member. Her favorite part of being a club member is meeting all the amazingly talented and accomplished members.

Rebecca and her husband, Ben Purdy, have three children: Elsie, Grant and Benjamin. They have a small farm in Northport where they grow hay, make maple syrup and keep chickens and horses.  

Merek Roman is an Economist with the U.S. Energy Information Administration and works remotely at 20Fathoms. He is also active within the community, serving as a board member of the Traverse City Board of Zoning Appeals, the Grand Traverse County Economic Development Corporation, and as a club officer of the Cherry Capital Toastmasters.

Merek Roman has been a member of TCEC since 2021 and joined the board in 2024.

Merek and his wife, Morgan Roman, reside in the Slabtown Neighborhood in downtown Traverse City. Both are natives to the area and enjoy all of the outdoor activities the area has to offer.

Mr. Roman holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from Michigan State University and a Master of Science in Applied Economics from Johns Hopkins University. He has a nine-year background in the energy industry and is passionate about bringing affordable energy solutions to the community, including green energy. Merek enjoys swimming, geocaching, and supporting local businesses.

Andrea Lisi is an Italian American executive with 18 years of experience in commodity trading, investing, financial modeling, and mergers and acquisitions (M&A). Since 2021, he has worked at MKS Instruments in the Semiconductor Industry, focusing on strategic projects and M&A activities for the company. He started Lisi Quant Analysis, a research firm that provides clear insights on Global Macro, Real Assets, Geopolitics, and Personal Finance for investors. 

He is on the advisory board of Chicago House AC, a semi-professional US Soccer Club. He earned a Bachelor's degree in Banking and Finance and a Master's in Quantitative Methods for Finance from Verona University in Italy and holds the CFA designation.

He has been a member of the Traverse City Economic Club since 2024 and a board member since 2025. Andrea currently serves on the Finance Committee.  

Andrea would recommend volunteering board or club volunteer experience since it is an excellent way to meet interesting people and contribute to the community.

He loves skiing and surfing. Andrea lives in Traverse City with his wife and son.

Norman D. Plumstead is the President & CEO of Honor Bank and is also a member of its Board of Directors. During his 24-year of banking career, Norm has served in various leadership civic and industry roles, including serving as a Director with the Benzie Chamber of Commerce, Finance Committee member with Traverse Connect, Director of the Traverse Bay Sunrise Rotary, and a Director with the Michigan Bankers Association Service Corporation. Norm graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from Central Michigan University and is a graduate of the American Bankers Association Stonier Graduate School of Banking, earning a Wharton Leadership Certificate. Norm has been a Club member since 2020 and a board member since 2022. He currently serves as TCEC Program Chair.

Norm recommends board or volunteer experience since it allows him to offer his time and talents to help the Club remain vibrant when organizations such as this are needed more than ever. His favorite part of being a Club member is learning from speakers and members, each of whom has different perspectives and opinions. 

He lives in Traverse City with his wife and two sons.

An entrepreneur, consultant & university professor.

As an entrepreneur, he is founder of a vineyard and winery which produces organic small batch wines piloting AI and Agile methods. He has also owned other startups companies which include a high tech composites golf clubs, coffee shop cafe, and a global consulting firm.

He also is CEO of CGA Advanced Future Technologies with advises high tech company leaders, investment firms and startup companies. These clients are located in Palo Alto, Seattle, Phoenix, Austin, NYC, London, Germany, Paris, Michigan, S. Korea, Japan, India, Europe, and Dubai

As a University Professor, Dr Atkinson lectures and teaches undergrad and graduate school students on international business, advanced innovation methods, and business models. He has lectured at Oxford, Stanford, Berkley, UCLA, University of Michigan and LTU.. He has published books and papers about disruptive tech transitions into 2030. Classes leverage Artificial Intelligence (AI for business), advanced innovative problem solving methods, Agile tech development and new business models. All class projects entrepreneurs received Angel Capital funding, application for IP patents, and business LLC

He has over 30 yrs. experience conducting global research, creating new ideas, developing, launching and scaling innovative award winning trucks and cars for automotive industry (ICE, HEV, EV, ADAS, AV) Teams have a record setting number of global awards competing against the best in the world.

Tim Cerny is an active executive with extensive experience in leading business in the IT Services and Workforce Planning Solutions industries with a focus on driving sales and company culture.  

He is the current CEO of Safety Net, an IT Managed Services Provider in Traverse City. He was formally the President of American Healthcare Services Association (AHSA), a Traverse City based healthcare workforce solution company. He was the executive VP of TEKsystems Canada, leading the Canadian operations of a global IT Staffing and Services firm.  

Tim’s volunteer and non-profit experience includes: President of Traverse City Junior Golf Association and member of the Grand Traverse YMCA Phase 2 Capital Campaign task force.

He has been a member of the Economic Club since 2023. His favorite part of being a Club member is after every meeting he gains with new insights and actionable changes he can make in his professional and personal life.

Tim would recommend board or Club volunteer experience since it has allowed him to expand awareness and drive members of the club to his extensive local network.

Tim is a Traverse City native who returned home 13 years ago to raise his family after being gone for 20 years. He enjoys golfing, biking, fishing and spending warm summer days boating on Long Lake. 

William "Bill" Cron is a retired Professor of Accounting at Central Michigan University. He has been a member of the Traverse City Economic Club since 2002, a board member since 2004 and has previously served as TCEC Treasurer and chair of the Finance Committee.

Bill recommends board or Club volunteer experience since his professional experience has served the Club in guiding it in prudent financial management. His favorite part of being a Club member is the monthly program featuring informative, timely and relevant economic issues.

Bill and his wife Sharon split their time between beautiful Northport in the summer and The Villages in the winter, so they can consistently enjoy the sun and warmth, along with a few good pickleball games thrown in.

Kathy Dixon is a retired Trust and Wealth Advisor, with extensive experience working with high net-worth individuals, families and non-profit organizations. She is a board member on the Munson Medical Center Foundation and Munson Healthcare Board, and the Secretary for Settlers Cove Homeowners Association.

She has been a member of the Traverse City Economic Club since 1999, a board member since 2008 and Club president for the 2013-2014 term. She currently serves as co-chair of the Membership/Marketing Committee and on the Nominating and Scholarship Committees.  

Kathy would recommend board or Club volunteer experience since it has allowed her to utilize her organizational skills to advance a variety of Club initiatives. Her favorite part of being a Club member is meeting talented and accomplished community members. 

She enjoys boating on Long Lake, playing pickleball with friends, spending family time with her husband, Mark, and their daughters and grandchildren; they consider themselves lucky, since all are Traverse City residents.

Jamie Gallagher is currently CEO and founder of 4 The Win Partners, LLC, after a 40-year career in the toy industry with Faber-Castell, Playmobil and LEGO. He serves as a Traverse City Connect mentor and Executive Board Member of MESH Helps, whose mission is to improve childrens’ Mental Emotional Social Health by building resiliency through play.

Jamie has been an Economic Club member since 2022 and currently serves on Sponsorship Committee. He would recommend membership in the Club as it has given him the opportunity to positively impact the local business community by connecting and sharing insights. His favorite part of being a member is learning more about local businesses while finding ways the Club programs can help them.

Jamie moved from Cleveland, OH to Williamsburg 3 years ago with his wife, Mindy. They enjoy each season’s outdoor activities and find our area a wonderful place to entertain their 3 grown sons and out-of-town friends.

Josh Hart is a native of Northern Michigan, hailing from Gaylord. He earned his Bachelor of Arts Degree from The University of Olivet, where he excelled on the football field and served as the president of the nationally renowned Insurance and Risk Management program. With a strong foundation in academia and sports, Josh embarked on a 15-year journey within the Insurance Industry, taking on diverse leadership roles around the country. In 2019, he made the decision to move to Traverse City and founded his present ventures, Riley’s Candles, and the "Riley Foundation," both named in honor of his beloved 14-year-old Beagle, Riley. The overarching mission of these social impact organizations is to raise funds for dogs in dire need of life-saving surgeries, who might otherwise face euthanasia due to the financial constraints of their owners.

Josh joined the Traverse City Economic Club board in 2024 as a new member. Josh would recommend board or Club volunteer experience since it allows him to share his knowledge, curiosity, and expertise of learning and teaching entrepreneurship, nurturing startups, mentoring aspiring entrepreneurs and contributing to the entrepreneurial ecosystem. 

Outside of his professional pursuits, Josh is deeply intertwined with the community. He is an active member of the Rotary Club of Traverse Bay Sunrise, contributes to the Office of Possibilities, supports 20Fathoms, TC NewTech, Commonplace, and serves as a Traverse Connect Ambassador. He is also engaged with the Michigan Aerospace Manufacturing Association and various other national business organizations.

Catherine (“Cathy”) Schmitt began her career teaching high school mathematics after earning her undergraduate degree from the University of Detroit. She later returned for an MBA, which propelled her into health care leadership and nonprofit service. Cathy joined Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, where she spent 22 years in senior leadership roles, designing, launching, and managing various programs.



Alongside her corporate career, Cathy prioritized family and community service. She served as a Cub Scout leader, Band Mother, and Mother’s Club Treasurer. She expanded her service after her son’s graduation and became the first lay Board Chair of the Capuchin Soup Kitchen. She also served on the Board of Gleaners Community Food Bank and the University of Detroit Mercy College of Business Administration Board of Advisors. After retirement, she was UDM’s first Executive-in-Residence, helping students with internships and employment. She co-founded Campus Kitchen (now the Titan Equity Nourishment Network) to address food equity and sustainability. Now living in Traverse City, she continues her commitment to community service and has been an active member of TCEC’s Program Committee.

Suzanne Stepan is Vice President, Sr. Wealth Management Advisor with Greenleaf Trust. Chartered Financial Analyst, CFA®, and Certified Financial Planner, CFP®, with over thirty years of experience in the financial industry. She has been an TCEC Club member since 2005 and a board member since 2022. 

Suzanne recommends board or Club volunteer experience as it encourages community involvement and offers an opportunity to grow and focus the vision of the Club to make a stronger impact within the community. Her favorite part of being a Club member is involvement in a community club that inspires learning and open discussion on numerous economic issues; locally, nationally, and internationally.   

Suzanne enjoys living in Traverse City and says it is her favorite place to kayak and camp in the warmer months and downhill ski and snowshoe in the colder months.

Elaine is a Foresight and Growth Strategist with ALL ETHOS, a TC-based consulting firm, with extensive experience in corporate strategy, specifically using future studies and foresight data to guide for-profit and non-profit clients (leadership and boards) through the development of data-led strategic plans and future roadmaps. She is also a Grand Traverse Ski Club board member.

She has been a member since 2024 and joins the board in 2025. Her long-term plans are to support Branding + Marketing as well as strategic planning committee work.  

Elaine would recommend board or club volunteer experience to business leaders who are eager to shape the future of how we deliver continued learning, connectivity, and economic advancement in this region that is evolving so rapidly.

Her favorite part of being a Club member is that it speaks right to the heart of her deep curiosities and the need to stay connected to progress in various industries as she studies those spaces for her clients.

Running on the TART trails, watching her two kids play an array of sports, skiing with her family, catching the sunset at Good Harbor, and reading a great book are some of her favorite ways to spend time with kids (10 and 7) and husband, Josh.