Community Foundation Welcomes New Staff Member and Five New Board Directors

[Image description: A collage of headshots of our new staff member and new board directors, including (from left to right, top to bottom) Torey Caviston, Lauren Clark, Jürgen Griswold, Rick Heitmeyer, Phyllis Kladder, and Edward Lanphier.]

The Grand Traverse Regional Community Foundation recently welcomed Torey Caviston as its new Youth and Community Impact Coordinator. Alongside this new staff addition, five new community members have joined the Foundation’s board of directors, including Lauren Clark of Kalkaska County, Jürgen Griswold of Antrim County, Rick Heitmeyer of Kalkaska County, Phyllis Kladder of Benzie County, and Edward Lanphier of Leelanau County.

“We’re excited to be not only expanding our staff but also to welcome our newest board directors,” said David Mengebier, President and CEO of the Community Foundation. “The skills, knowledge, and experiences that each of these new individuals bring to the Community Foundation will help us continue to grow, evolve, and make a bigger impact for our communities.”

Originally from Kansas, Torey Caviston graduated from McPherson College with a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Stewardship. She moved to Traverse City in 2013 to pursue her interest in outdoor education and immediately fell in love with the community. After relocating to the Lansing area, where she connected children and the local community with the outdoors at a nature conservancy, Torey returned to Traverse City to be closer to family and is excited for the opportunity to continue working with young people in Northern Michigan as the Community Foundation’s Youth and Community Impact Coordinator.

Lauren Clark has lived in Kalkaska for almost 10 years, where she is an artist, photographer, writer, and community advocate/liaison with Center for Change Northern Michigan. Her collegiate background includes renewable energy, economics, accounting, and political science. She is currently serving or has served on several local boards including Friends of the Kalkaska County Library, League of Women Voters Grand Traverse Area, 100+ Women Who Care Kalkaska, Kalkaska for Peace, Kalkaska DDA, Academea Club, NMCAA Policy Council, Parent Leadership Cohort for the Great Starts Collaborative, and the Community Reader Program.

Jürgen Griswold is a junior at Ellsworth High School. He is president of his school’s Student Council and he represents several school and community organizations, serving as a three-sport varsity athlete, leadership team member of the Community Foundation’s Youth Advisory Council, and is a member of S.A.F.E. in Northern Michigan/Community Anti-Drug Coalition, FIRST Robotics, National Honor Society, Quiz Bowl, and his church youth group. Jürgen is also the founder of the Little Reading Buddies literacy program, and for the past 11 years has co-led an annual fundraiser to benefit the Great Lakes Burn Camp for Kids.

Rick Heitmeyer began working in education in the 1990s. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Education, Master of Arts in Principalship, and an Education Specialist degree in General Administration, all from Central Michigan University. Rick joined Kalkaska Public Schools as Superintendent in 2021 after working in various school districts across Michigan, including in Baldwin, Buckley, Vanderbilt, Central Montcalm, and Vestaburg. A graduate of nearby Elk Rapids, Rick is excited to be back home working with and serving a great community.

Phyllis Kladder was born and raised in Midland, and attended both Ferris State University and Aquinas College. She is a small business accountant that retired in 2020. Phyllis is involved in many area organizations, including the Benzie Sunrise Rotary, Benzie Area Historical Museum, Thompsonville Area Revitalization Project, Crystal Scholarship Foundation, and Weldon Township Planning Commission. She has lived in Northern Michigan full-time since 2017 with her spouse, Scott.

Edward Lanphier grew up in Springfield, Illinois, attended high school in Connecticut, and graduated from Knox College in 1978. Since 1982, he has been actively involved in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, founding Sangamo Therapeutics in 1995. In 2014, Edward and his wife, Cam purchased a cottage in Leelanau County that had been in the family since the 1940s. Until recently, Edward and Cam spent the off season in Ross, California, but have now made Leelanau their full-time home. Edward is involved with several organizations, including Sangamo Therapeutics, Buck Institute for Research on Aging, Choate Rosemary Hall, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Alliance for Regenerative Medicine, and the Glen Lake Association.