EAST JORDAN, MI — Friday, October 24th, 2025 – The Northern Lakes Economic Alliance (NLEA) hosted its Development Spotlight: East Jordan event, bringing together community leaders, developers, and other industry experts to learn about East Jordan’s community and economic development efforts.

 

The event featured presentations from Jessica Lovay, Sr. Program Manager for Community Investment, and Sam Bailey, Strategic Initiatives Manager, both with NLEA; Tom Cannon, City Manager for East Jordan; Mary Faculak, President and CEO of the East Jordan Area Chamber of Commerce; and Josh Manthei, Managing Member and Bryan Burns, Vice President from Manthei Construction, who shared insights on development and construction activity in northern Michigan. 

 

Attendees learned about recent investments in downtown East Jordan and the East Jordan Air Industrial Park, funding opportunities for development, and local and regional demographic and development trends. Charlevoix County has seen recent growth in its prime-age population, 1.6%, a positive shift in population trends for the area. Participants also joined a guided bus tour showcasing housing, commercial, and industrial development opportunities across the area. The event concluded with a walking tour of East Jordan’s commercial district, where participants viewed recent and upcoming redevelopment projects—including the Joining Jordan project. 

 

“This event showcased the forward-thinking efforts by community leaders in East Jordan and the opportunity that exists to redevelop vacant, underutilized sites for an even more vibrant future,” said Payton Heins, President and CEO of the Northern Lakes Economic Alliance. “The NLEA is proud to support our local partners and help facilitate conversations that move northern Michigan forward.” 

Development Spotlight was designed to connect industry experts and community leaders around development opportunities that respond to community priorities and foster long-term prosperity. 

 

The Northern Lakes Economic Alliance is a nonprofit regional economic development organization dedicated to supporting the economic vitality of Antrim, Charlevoix, Cheboygan, and Emmet counties. NLEA’s mission is to drive economic resiliency by ensuring the resources, infrastructure, and policies exist to fuel business growth and community prosperity. 

 

For more information about this event and other NLEA initiatives, please visit our website. 

 

Media Contact: Rachel Pott, Marketing and Events Coordinator, Northern Lakes Economic Alliance, 231-582-6482, rachel@thenlea.com