Amy Clickner, CEO, Lake Superior Community Partnership

The Lake Superior Community Partnership’s Annual Dinner is less than a month away! This event is our largest fundraiser of the year. We expect over 250 people at this fun-filled event on Feb. 20 in the Great Lakes Room at NMU’s University Center. Each year we come together to support economic development in Marquette County, celebrate our successes and recognize our Distinguished Service Award winners. The event will include a buffet dinner, bucket drawings, silent auction, photo booth and a short program. This year’s construction theme is to honor all of the development we’ve seen in Marquette County over the past few years. The suggested attire is construction casual; jeans, neon vests, hard hats, etc. are all encouraged!

If networking is important to you and your business, this event is a must to attend. Businesses from across the county gather to enjoy the evening full of festivities.

So far, we have several sponsors, and we are so grateful to these businesses for their support. But there is still time to become a sponsor. Contact our office at 906-226-6591 or email Ashley Szczepanski at ashley@marquette.org if you are interested.

This year’s individual Distinguished Service Award winner is Tony Retaskie. Tony is executive director of the Upper Peninsula Construction Council. He is extremely involved in education and training in the U.P. as a whole. Tony works to develop opportunities for young people to be exposed to the skilled trades. He has assisted in developing programs like the Skills Challenge and Hands on Trades Career Fair at the Marquette County Fairgrounds. Along with his extensive involvement in the community, he is a member of the LSCP and has worked tirelessly with the LSCP Foundation in conjunction with the Electrical Line Technician program. Tony is currently the Leader of the Marquette County Ambassadors.

“There are few people, if any, who are more critical to the future of the Upper Peninsula than Tony Retsakie and even fewer who garner such statewide respect. Tony is instrumental in the development of professional trades talent in the U.P. and a huge champion of young people. The amount of time and effort he devotes to advancing opportunities for all young people and the positive impact he has had on so many young lives is nearly immeasurable. Tony is the most selfless individual I have ever met in my life and I am blessed to work with him,” said Brain Sarvello, Career and Technical Education director, Marquette-Alger Regional Educational Services Agency.

Stu Bradley, Career Technical Education Committee chairman, said: “When Brian Sarvello and I decided to organize the Career Technical Education Committee five years ago the first person we asked to join us was Tony Retaskie. He is hard working, dedicated to our community, and extremely well connected. He is the go-to person when it comes to labor/management relations. I now consider Tony one of my very best friends.”

This year’s business Distinguished Service Award recipient is Champion Inc. Serving the region for almost 100 years, Champion Inc. has expanded to three divisions, Champion Concrete, Champion Charter and Gundlach Champion. The Gundlach Champion division of Champion Inc. is one of the oldest construction firms in the nation. A few of their notable projects in the Marquette area include Thomas Theatre, Hampton Inn and the Humbolt Mill. Not only has Champion Inc. been at the forefront of economic development throughout the region, the company is extremely involved in all the communities in which they serve. When Champion Inc.’s partners need anything or seek counsel in their industry, they are available. It is great to see the kind of support Champion Inc. has shown in important projects affecting our region, such as the mine startups, Enbridge utility tunnel and Soo Locks.

This year’s Annual Dinner will be fun for all, and another great opportunity for LSCP partners to advertise their business, network with one another and simply enjoy an evening out. Most importantly, this event is an opportunity for you to contribute to the economic development activities of the LSCP.

Tickets can be reserved by registering on our website or calling our office by Feb. 18. For more information on attending or sponsoring please contact Ashley Szczepanski, Marketing & Events Manager, at 906-226-6591 X 106 or ashley@marquette.org. You can also visit our website, www.marquette.org, for more information.

Space is limited, so make your reservation now for this evening of celebration and networking!

Editor’s NOTE: Amy Clickner is CEO of the Lake Superior Community Partnership. Her twice-monthly column will address topics of interest to the local business community.