Contact for More Information: Beth McCarthy
Chair of the Board
Alliance for Economic Success
231-723-4325
info@allianceforeconomicsuccess.com
For Immediate Release: October 12, 2009
BUSINESS AND COMMUNITY LEADER CYNDY FULLER TO DIRECT MANISTEE COUNTY’S ALLIANCE FOR ECONOMIC SUCCESS
Manistee County, Michigan – Cyndy Fuller has been unanimously selected by the Board of Directors of the Alliance for Economic Success to be the new Executive Director of the organization.
The AES is the economic development organization serving all of Manistee County. It is responsible for retaining, expanding and attracting businesses and jobs; facilitating and supporting initiatives to improve the economic well-being and quality of life; and for developing financial and technical resources to support attainment of the AES strategic plan. Fuller will begin her new position on October 19, 2009.
Fuller has been a resident of Manistee for 18 years since moving to the area with husband Don in 1992. Fuller has worked for the Harbor Village at Manistee Beach development company since 1992 and has served as General Manager and Vice President of the organization for the past twelve years. During Fuller's tenure, Harbor Village evolved from a former 55-acre sand mining site into a community that consists of 100 marina slips, 204 condominium homes and twenty-four single-family homes. Fuller is stepping down from that post as she winds down operations for the Harbor Village developer.
Fuller has also served on the City of Manistee City Council, representing the City’s 2nd District since 2005. She has been elected Mayor by City Council since 2006. Fuller will be working with City Council and the City's legal counsel in October 2009 to ensure that appropriate steps are taken with regard to her new position with AES and her participation in the City Council and Mayoral positions.
“We are fortunate to have a person of Cyndy’s credentials and caliber to ensure that all of Manistee County is on a track toward the AES vision of prosperity,” said Beth McCarthy, AES Board Chair. “Cyndy has demonstrated that she can achieve great things in both the private and public sectors with a style that is highly collaborative. Her selection as the Athena award winner in 2009 reflects the high esteem in which she is held throughout Manistee County. The AES has made remarkable progress over the past two years and, with Renee’ Ihlenfeldt’s departure to join her husband in Texas, Cyndy was simply the perfect candidate to lead economic development and the Alliance for Economic Success for Manistee County.”
Fuller succeeds Renee’ Ihlenfeldt who served for nearly three years as the first Executive Director of the AES.
Prior to moving to Manistee, Fuller was a sales associate and closing broker for a Lansing-based Realty before purchasing the branch in 1981. She was an instructor at Lansing Community College for six years where she taught several courses in the Business Division. She also served as a Vice President of Mid-State Title Company. She developed and managed the escrow department with the company that expanded from one office in Okemos, Michigan to six offices in the Lansing and Jackson areas. She also worked with the Manistee law firm Gockerman, Wilson, Saylor and Hesslin in opening a Century 21 franchise in Manistee.
“Mayor Fuller has been an inspiration to the City of Manistee and we are delighted that she will now apply her skills and abilities in serving the entire County,” said Mitch Deisch, Manistee's City Manager.
“While serving on City Council and as Mayor, Cyndy's leadership was instrumental in establishing the City's vision as a “Community of Choice,” Deisch said. “She also had key leadership roles in developing and updating the City’s Strategic Plan, in securing funding for the recent purchase of Man-Made lake property and in building partnerships with governmental units and businesses. This is good news for all communities in Manistee County just as it is good news for the City of Manistee.”
Fuller has also served on a number of Manistee-area committees and boards, including;
- Past President of the West Shore Community College Foundation
- Past President of the Manistee Economic Council and Chamber Alliance
- Current Chair, City of Manistee Downtown Development Authority and Main Street Program Boards
- Leadership Team, Manistee County-Wide Branding Initiative
- Board of Directors, Alternatives for Area Youth
- Chair, City of Manistee Oil and Gas Board
- Member, City of Manistee Planning Commission
- Coach, Girl's Basketball and Volleyball, Brethren and Manistee Middle School
“I hope that everyone will join us in selling Manistee County to the rest of the world,” said Fuller. “While the AES has an organizational responsibility to lead in attaining our goals for economic well-being, we can only realize our full potential if everyone is on the same page and working as a team. We have a great story to tell and there are wonderful examples of progress and positive change throughout Manistee County. We need to support and preserve our existing businesses and jobs and pave the way for new, exciting opportunities that will carry us into the future and make our entire county a destination of choice for businesses, families and visitors.”
Beginning October 19, Fuller may be reached at Alliance for Economic Success, 1361 US 31 South, Manistee, MI 49660 (231) 723-4325; cyndy@allianceforeconomicsuccess.com.
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