Lorraine Manary is the recently retired director of Char-Em United Way. A resident of Boyne City since 1990, Lorraine raised three children here; her youngest has Down Syndrome and remains in town, the other two have moved out of state.  Lorraine is also a grandmother of two with another expected in Feb. 2018.

When not busy with her children, Lorraine worked as an independent contractor serving in the role of Collaborative Coordinator with the Char-Em Human Services Coordinating Body organizations for ten years. Among other things, she was involved in bringing the first Project Connect to our area, wrote a 10-year plan to end homelessness in Charlevoix and Emmet counties, and organized the first suicide prevention workgroup, which continues today.  Lorraine owns NorthStar Consulting and has contracted with various for profit and not for profit organizations, working with them on board development, executive coaching and strategic planning.  Lorraine served as the Executive Director of the Otsego County United Way for 2.5 years before joining Char-Em United Way in that role in 2013.

“I started at North Central when my children were in school and attended part time. My goal was to have a college degree before my children did, and I was able to do so. Three of us were in college at the same time for a while prior to my earning the Master’s Degree.  During this time I was working part time, advocating and caring for my daughter Amanda (who has Down Syndrome), and caring for my older two children as they completed high school and started attending college.”  Lorraine graduated with honors from North Central is 1997.  She has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Spring Arbor University and a Master of Arts in Organizational Management, also from Spring Arbor.