• Immediate Past Board Chair
• Chair, Nominating & Governance Committee
• Board member since 2019
• Resident of New Buffalo, MI

Like many of us, Laura and her husband Fred fell in love with The Acorn when they attended their very first show back in 2017. Inspired by this wonderfully funky theater and recognizing the importance of it in our community, they have both been active volunteers and supporters ever since, and are fully engaged and committed to securing the future of this remarkable place at the heart of Harbor Country.

Laura's passion to positively impact the theater began with volunteering her hospitality chops and notably co-chairing our primary VIP and annual benefit fundraisers in 2018 and 2019. She joined the board in late 2019 and stepped into the role of Chair of the Development Chair where she lead grant-writing and fundraising for the next few years. She helped keep the theater afloat during the global pandemic and served two 9-month stints as Interim Executive Director as the ACPA Board searched for a new leader. She served as Board Chair in 2022 and 2023 and now leads the Nominating & Governance Committee.

Before life at The Acorn, Laura enjoyed a 25-year career in information technology, holding various positions in sales and sales leadership and living and traveling across the U.S. It is in her last position as a global business development manager with Hewlett-Packard that she met Fred in downtown Chicago, and upon retiring from Hewlett-Packard in 2012, they traveled for a couple of years in a motorhome [yes, they're still married!] visiting all 59 of our country's national parks before settling down in New Buffalo at the end of 2016.

Passionate about the Harbor Country community, Laura keeps very busy here. She serves on the Rotary Club of Harbor Country board, volunteers with the Chikaming Open Lands Mighty Acorns program, and serves as Treasurer of her homeowners' association.

Laura is a graduate from the University of Wisconsin where she earned a BA in Journalism and a Master's Degree in Business Administration.