Our Team & Board

OPERATIONS MANAGER

katie.degroff@lakeshoreadvantage.com (616) 772-5226 ext. 211
201. W. Washington Ave., Loft 410 Zeeland, MI 49464  

Education: Grand Rapids Community College 

Interests: Her German Shepherd (DJ), reading, running, concerts, Michigan summers 

ABOUT  

Katie joined the Lakeshore Advantage team in 2019 and serves as the Office Manager. In this role, Katie focuses on maintaining a positive work environment for all. She also assists in the monthly financial duties, board support, and facilities oversight for the Lakeshore Advantage and SURGE Business Incubator offices.  

Prior to her current role, Katie worked in the hospitality industry where she gained management experience. 

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EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT & EXPERIENCE MANAGER

Education: Concordia University Wisconsin, M.S., Student Personnel Administration

Spring Arbor University, B.A., Psychology; Minor, Business Administration

Interests: thrifting, DIY projects, walks with her family and two dogs, movie nights

ABOUT

Julie is responsible for supporting the Lakeshore Advantage board of directors and board committees as well as for scheduling and meeting support for the Lakeshore Advantage leadership team. Julie joined the team in 2023 after several years of experience in supporting executives in the higher education and utility sectors.

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Education: Western Michigan University

Interests: Live music, art, and sports – football, basketball, and soccer.

About: Marissa’s primary background is in retail and customer service. Previous employment includes having had the pleasure of working for West Michigan companies such as New Holland Brewing Company and Gordon Food Services. Her experience in customer service, hospitality, and account management make her the ideal Experience Coordinator for our SURGE Program and the needs of the Next Center.  Outside of work, she loves creating art, gardening, DIY projects, and traveling

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CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER 

angela.huesman@lakeshoreadvantage.com (616) 772-5226 ext. 209
201. W. Washington Ave., Loft 410 Zeeland, MI 49464  

Education:  

Baker College, B.S., Business Administration 

Interests: Cooking, gardening, traveling and spending time with my family. 

ABOUT  

Angela serves as the Chief Operating Officer at Lakeshore Advantage. She implements organizational strategy and manages the day-to-day operations, internal human resource needs, financial management, and board governance. Angela also represents the voice of business growth needs in the community through service on the Ready for School board, West Michigan Works! workforce development board, Hello West Michigan advisory board, and as a member of the Discover Manufacturing leadership team.  

Prior to her current role, Angela spent over a decade in corporate relocation services for Coldwell Banker Schmidt companies working with area employers to attract and retain talent. 

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Contact: Sara.Little@lakeshoreadvantage.com; (616) 772-5226 ext. 221

Education: Purdue University, B.S., Psychology

Interests:

Cooking, traveling, family time, exploring hidden gems in West Michigan, and deep dives into anything random on Wikipedia.

About:

Sara serves as the Marketing & Events Coordinator at Lakeshore Advantage. In her role, Sara is responsible for event planning, social media, and digital asset production.

Prior to her current role, Sara spent 20+ years developing her career in the hospitality industry across Napa + Sonoma in a variety of roles, from event programs to marketing strategies and community development.

Sara is joining the Fall 2024 Certificate in Meetings Management (CMM) Cohort provided by Meeting Professionals International (MPI) and Indiana University – Kelley School of Business.

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Education: Lake Forest College, B.A., Biology; Anthropology 

Interests: Family, running, yoga, hiking, reading 

ABOUT  

Grace is the Director of Marketing & Communications. In her role, she serves as lead storyteller for Lakeshore Advantage, managing media and public relations, content creation, and event production. Grace joined the team in 2022 with over ten years of experience in donor, sponsor, and member engagement within the nonprofit sector. 

Grace started her career in 2010 working for a trade association and gained extensive experience with investor engagement through event production and strategic communications aimed at building awareness and garnering community support for organizational missions at the Grand Rapids Art Museum and Special Olympics Michigan. 

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VICE PRESIDENT OF ENGAGEMENT 

beth.blanton@lakeshoreadvantage.com (616) 772-5226 ext. 205
201. W. Washington Ave., Loft 410 Zeeland, MI 49464  

Education: Hope College, B.A., Business Administration, Communication 

Interests: Exploring Michigan, antiquing, time with family and friends, learning to golf 

Accolades: Holland Young Professional Community Matters Nominee (2016) 

ABOUT  

Beth built her professional and leadership skills through her experience at various organizations, including the Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce, Fleetwood Group Inc., and the City of Holland, Michigan. These experiences, spanning the private, public and nonprofit sectors prepared her for a leadership role at Lakeshore Advantage, where she began in 2016. Beth serves as the Vice President of Engagement where she is responsible for growing investor engagement and partnerships.  

Her responsibilities include setting and executing all new revenue and fundraising initiatives to fully fund the organization’s operating budget, leading the engagement team, and setting the strategic direction and vision for events and sponsorship opportunities. Beth currently serves on the West Michigan Regional Airport Authority Board and the City of Zeeland Brownfield Board. 

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Contact: Lindsay.Maunz@lakeshoreadvantage.com; (616) 772-5226 ext. 305

Education: Saint Louis University, MPH, Behavioral Science and Health Education and Epidemiology; Central Michigan University, B.S., Community Health Education and Childhood Development

Interests: Baking, hiking, and snuggling with her dog

About:

Lindsay is a Project Manager for the Strategic Initiatives team at Lakeshore Advantage. In her role, Lindsay spearheads vital projects to advance strategic goals and foster community growth. She is responsible for researching and writing grant funding applications, grant administration, and managing communications and project timelines with key stakeholders.

Lindsay brings several years of experience in public administration. Before joining Lakeshore Advantage, Lindsay held positions at Allegan County as the planning and preparedness manager and public health specialist/public information officer.

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VICE PRESIDENT OF STRATEGIC INITIATIVES 

mandy.cooper@lakeshoreadvantage.com (616) 772-5226 ext. 202
201. W. Washington Ave., Loft 410 Zeeland, MI 49464  

Education: Calvin College, B.A., Communications 

Interests: Spending time with her husband and two dogs at their rustic cabin up north 

ABOUT  

As Vice President of Strategic Initiatives, Mandy partners with federal, state, and local units of government along with civic and community organizations to advance economic initiatives in the Lakeshore region. Her work includes advancing talent and education initiatives as well as other major economic initiatives involving multiple stakeholders. Mandy participates in numerous community boards. 

Mandy joined the team in 2018 with 20 years of experience working with organizations in the Holland/Zeeland community, first as an executive vice president for marketing and communications firm, The Image Group, then as Director of Advancement at Zeeland Christian Schools where she led a $5.4 million capital campaign.  

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Contact: Amanda.Chocko@lakeshoreadvantage.com; (616) 772-5226 ext. 206
SURGE Center, 44 E. 8th Street, Suite 400, Holland MI  49424 

Education: Davenport University, B.S., Business Management & Marketing 

Interests: Entrepreneurship, nutrition, wellness 

About:  

As Director of Entrepreneurship, Amanda manages the startup program, SURGE. Her work includes program development and connecting entrepreneurs to the people and resources that help them launch and grow successful businesses. She also serves on the board of directors for the International Business Innovation Association. 

Amanda has been a leader in the West Michigan startup community for over a decade. Previously, Amanda spent eight years at Start Garden where she helped to launch 5X5 Night and the Seamless IOT commercialization program. Amanda has built relationships with startup communities around the state and helped to organize 11 Grand Rapids Startup Weekends. 

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DIRECTOR OF SURGE PARTNERSHIPS 

nora.vandenbrink@lakeshoreadvantage.com

(616) 772-5226 ext. 212

201 W. Washington Ave., Loft 410 Zeeland, MI 49464

Education: Loyola Marymount University, B.A., Psychology, Studio Art

Interests: Cooking and anything culinary related, stand-up paddle boarding, problem-solving

ABOUT  

Nora serves as the Director of SURGE Partnerships. In her role, Nora will focus on cultivating ecosystem growth through the stewardship and development of corporate, community and investor partnerships. Nora connects SURGE startups and founders with a wide range of resources and partner organizations to support the development and growth of their businesses.

Prior to joining Lakeshore Advantage, Nora honed her entrepreneurial expertise as the Associate Director of Startup Engagement and Venture Capital Programs at The University of Chicago’s Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation. She first began cultivating her entrepreneurial toolkit in her role as Marketing Coordinator at Yoobi, a social enterprise startup based in Los Angeles, CA.

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Contact: Rebekah.Devries@lakeshoreadvantage.com; (616) 772-5226 ext. 215

Education: Trinity Christian College, B.S., RN 

Interests: Outdoor activities, reading, and spending time with her family

About:  

Rebekah deVries joined the Lakeshore Advantage team in 2018 and serves as Project Manager. In this role, Rebekah focuses on data integrity of primary data as well as the reporting and analysis of secondary data for research conducted by Lakeshore Advantage to gain insights into the region’s business trends.  

Rebekah has served on a local school board since 2016, where she contributes leadership skills and a unique viewpoint on flexible learning and innovative student experiences. Before joining Lakeshore Advantage, Rebekah worked as a registered nurse for nearly 10 years with experience in critical care and hospice care. Rebekah maintains an active Michigan license as a Registered Nurse. 

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VICE PRESIDENT OF BUSINESS SOLUTIONS 

amanda.murray@lakeshoreadvantage.com (616) 772-5226 ext. 302
201. W. Washington Ave., Loft 410 Zeeland, MI 49464  

Education:  

University of Wisconsin-Madison, M.S., Urban and Regional Planning 

Washington State University, B.A., Business Administration 

Interests: Traveling, playing tennis, spending time with her husband and two boys 

Accolades: Michiana’s 40 Under 40 (2012) 

ABOUT  

Amanda serves as the Vice President of Business Solutions. In this role, Amanda leads the team that focuses on business attraction, retention, and expansion efforts, along with entrepreneurship programming.   

Amanda joined the team in 2016 with over 10 years of experience working in economic development. Prior to her current role, Amanda held the position of Vice President of Economic Development in the Nashville, Tennessee region. She also previously worked at Purdue University where she worked with communities throughout the state assisting with economic development projects, entrepreneurship, workforce development and strategic planning. 

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Education:  

The University of Southern Mississippi, EDMP, Economic Development Leadership 

University of Notre Dame, Executive Management Certification  

Michigan State University, B.A., Journalism 

Interests: Family, entertaining, boating, traveling 

Accolades:  

• Top 50 Economic Developers in the U.S. – Consultant Connect 
• 200 Most Influential Leaders in Grand Rapids  
• 50 Most Influential Women in West Michigan 
• Corp Magazine Most Valuable Professional 
• Economic Development Newsmaker of the Year 

ABOUT  

As President of Lakeshore Advantage, Jennifer is responsible for setting the vision and strategy of the organization. Jennifer delivers direct business attraction, expansion, and retention services while providing overall leadership to the organization. Since joining Lakeshore Advantage in 2013, she has successfully landed numerous major business expansion and attraction projects.  

Jennifer has more than 20 years of leadership experience in marketing, communications, business retention, expansion, and attraction working in various state and local economic development positions throughout Michigan. Prior to joining Lakeshore Advantage, Jennifer held leadership positions at Southwest Michigan First and Consultant Connect. In addition, Jennifer held key positions at Ann Arbor SPARK and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation.   

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