THE MALCOLM CENTER
For Little Traverse Conservancy
A Center for Conservation and Community
For over five decades, our community’s commitment to protecting the lands and waters of northern Michigan has grown in extraordinary ways. The work of Little Traverse Conservancy is a direct reflection of that support.
In 2005, LTC held and managed nearly 10,000 acres as preserves and reserves, protected 9,400 acres of private land through conservation easements, and operated with a staff of 11. Today, thanks to the dedication of landowners, members, donors, and partners like you, LTC protects and stewards more than 83,000 acres of land. We manage over 27,000 acres as preserves and reserves, maintain more than 125 miles of public trails, and work with a team of more than 23 staff members across conservation, stewardship, and education.
With this growth comes an increasing responsibility to care for these lands and serve the community that makes this work possible. Our current office has supported this mission, but it is time for our capacity to match the scale of our responsibility and the opportunities ahead.
That opportunity is taking root at the Offield Family Viewlands Working Forest Reserve near Harbor Springs.
We are honored and excited to introduce our future home: The Malcolm Center for Little Traverse Conservancy.
Growing from an existing footprint of buildings, The Malcolm Center will create a welcoming conservation hub where people can gather, learn, and connect with the land. It will bring together staff, volunteers, board members, partners, and community members in spaces designed to support collaboration, education, and stewardship.
This will be a place where toddlers can play and grandparents can comfortably wander; where landowners can discover the many tools available to help protect their own land; and where visitors can experience some of the most breathtaking views of Little Traverse Bay from one of the Conservancy’s most beloved properties.
With inviting indoor and outdoor spaces, a welcoming commons area, and room to foster deeper partnerships throughout the region, The Malcolm Center will strengthen our ability to serve this community for generations to come. More than a new office, it will be a lasting home for conservation.
This vision is becoming a reality because of people like you: members, neighbors, and friends who care deeply about this place. Together, alongside the leadership of those who have stepped forward early, we can build something lasting for our entire community.
Thank you to the donors who are making this possible:
Mark and Patty Malcolm
Terence and Jennifer Adderley Foundation
Mark and Michelle Melvin
Drew Bartlett
Mrs. Winfield H. Bearce
Barbara Bechhold
Dr. and Mrs. Jeffrey A. Bennett
Jim Bricker
Nancy J Burk
Pamela and Rusty Carpenter
Tom and Katie Carruthers
Christine Casari
James and Angela Casper
Lucy Dobson
Jerry and Eileen Fhaner
Paul and Claire Forney
Cathy and David Frazee
Reed and Janet Freidinger
Frey Foundation
Paul and Olga Friedman
Patrick and Patricia Gammon
Dr. and Mrs. Alan R. Gillespie
Ted and Nancy Haddad
Mr. and Mrs. Gordon Hassing
Bruce and Susan Herard
Tom Hoster and Joan Zwiep
Emily Hughes and Joe, Ada and Ember Graham
Jason Huvaere
Ms. Catherine Iansiti
Karen and Hank Jallos
Mr. and Mrs. Joseph W. Kimmell, II
Kathryn Knoebel
Christina and Andrew Korinda
Sandra and Chet Kowal
Dave Kring Chevrolet
Dave and Debra Kring
Mr. Neil Loney
Alice Greene and E. Kirk McKinney, Jr. Fund
Barbara Merrell
Hans Muller
Sharon and John Neighbours
Ms. Sandi Riggs
Mr. and Mrs. Harry Santen
Serge Schillio
Mr. and Mrs. Robert H. Schultz
John Shreves
Dr. and Mrs. Henry L. Singer
Christopher Smith
Don and Gloria Sowle
August Srdjak
Kenyon Stebbins and Susan Lyman
Mrs. Ingrid Tomey
Paul and Maryagnes Van Klaveren
Lauren Walsh and Steve Radecki
Matthew Woehrmann and Jill Stanley
Project Goal: $10M
EVERY GIFT DOUBLED
We are grateful to work with donors who wish to support LTC’s long-term success by helping fund The Malcolm Center. Only gifts designated to are being used towards this project. Thanks to the Terence and Jennifer Adderley Foundation, all gifts toward the creation of The Malcolm Center will be matched dollar for dollar, doubling their impact, until our goal is reached.
Emily hughes
chief development officer
The Malcolm Center will be more than a building—it will be the future home of Little Traverse Conservancy and a gathering place where people connect with northern Michigan’s lands, waters, and wildlife for generations to come.
In addition to the support provided by our donors, LTC has been fortunate to receive in-kind donations of materials, equipment, labor, and professional services. These contributions help stretch every philanthropic dollar while creating a lasting community resource. Every gift—whether materials, labor, or expertise—moves the project forward.
We are grateful to be working with the following project partners:
Burdco Incorporated
“Burdco has been part of Northern Michigan for generations, and we understand how special this region is and the importance of protecting what makes it such a great place to live, work, and raise a family. Supporting the Malcolm Center was an opportunity for us to give back to an organization whose work helps preserve the natural beauty and character of the place we call home. We’re proud to support Little Traverse Conservancy and its commitment to protecting Northern Michigan for generations to come.”
Daniel Brown
Business Development Director
The Casper Corporation
“The Casper Corporation felt this was an important project to support because northern Michigan is a special place, and preserving its natural beauty for future generations is something we strongly believe in. Little Traverse Conservancy’s mission to protect significant land, scenic areas, and the natural character of the region closely aligns with our belief in supporting the communities and places that make Michigan such a great place to live, work, and visit.”
Jim Casper
President
Mathison | Mathison Architects
Why this project is important:
The Malcolm Center for Little Traverse Conservancy is strongly connected with who MMA is and the values that shape our work. Our team has deep roots and family ties to Northern Michigan which makes this project personal for each of us. We love northern Michigan’s quiet beauty and cool waters. We understand that preserving these places requires both foresight and action. The opportunity to support LTC, whose work is fundamentally dedicated to protecting and celebrating Northern Michigan’s natural environment, is especially meaningful to us.
How we connect with LTC’s mission:
LTC’s mission reflects our own belief that architecture should strengthen people’s connection to place and that it should enhance the experience for all, now and into the future. We believe good design begins with listening to the people who will use it, and that it must honor the history, landscape and the natural systems that surround it. The Malcolm Center creates a home for LTC that embodies those principles. It will support their day-to-day operations and provide a welcoming place where staff, volunteers, and partners continue that mission, and where the broader community can experience the landscape firsthand.
Matthew Schulte, AIA
Director of Project Operations
Preston Feather
“We’ve spent more than a century helping build homes and communities across Northern Michigan, and we believe part of building a strong community is protecting what makes people want to call it home in the first place. Little Traverse Conservancy’s work to preserve the natural beauty of Northern Michigan connects deeply with that belief. We’re proud to support The Malcolm Center because what we choose to protect today will define the Northern Michigan we leave behind.”
Jake Huntman
Sales Director
Preston Feather
Windemuller, Inc.
“We proudly support Little Traverse Conservancy and the people who make its work possible. From protecting irreplaceable lands and waters to caring for them for generations to come, this organization embodies what it means to be a good steward of northern Michigan. We are honored to lend our time and resources to this effort — because the beauty of this region is worth protecting, and its future depends on the choices we make today.”
Teri Kellogg
Marketing Manager
We are honored to introduce you to The Malcolm Center’s
lead supporters:
The Malcolm Center
Mark and Patty Malcolm
Mark and Patty Malcolm have been coming to Harbor Springs for nearly 30 years. “While we had enjoyed some trails in LTC nature preserves through the years,” said the Malcolms, “it really wasn’t until a visit in early August 2024 to the Offield Family Viewlands that we began to understand and appreciate the magnitude of LTC’s scope and positive impact on the environment and the quality of people’s lives.” Mark and Patty see The Malcolm Center as a “force multiplier,” expanding the reach of conservation by drawing more people in to learn, connect, and care for the land for generations.
The Stewardship Hall
Mark and Michelle Melvin
Mark Melvin has been coming to Burt Lake since the summer he was born. He and his wife Michelle have been members of LTC for 31 years. They have dedicated themselves to doing an exceptional amount of good in the communities where they live. Time and again, they have shown their dedication to LTC’s mission, from protecting the Harris-Melvin Family Nature Preserve—the last undeveloped shoreline on Burt Lake—to establishing the 150-acre Melvin Family Hiking and Biking Trails. Now, through their support of The Malcolm Center, they are ensuring that stewardship remains at the heart of LTC’s future. By naming the main hall the Stewardship Hall, Mark and Michelle are placing the care of our lands at the center of our future home.
The Terence E. Adderley
Conservation Classroom
Jennifer Adderley
Jennifer Adderley loves northern Michigan in beautiful ways, just as her late husband, Terry, did. When Jennifer was preparing to make her most significant gift from the Terence and Jennifer Adderley Foundation, the power of education through LTC stood out. Terry’s late daughter was a teacher, and both Terry and Jennifer deeply valued education. To honor his memory, Jennifer has dedicated the Terence E. Adderley Conservation Classroom. This will be a space where young people can play, learn, and build a lifelong connection to the land.
Enji-minozhiiyaamigak: The Place of Peacefulness Nature Preserve – a special preserve that Jennifer Adderley helped make possible.
Adderley Infrastructure Endowment
Like everything about our mission, we are thinking generations in advance. When we envisioned The Malcolm Center as our forever home, we wanted to be sure we could stand by those words.
Jennifer Adderley understands the importance of the longevity of LTC and made a leadership gift to invest in the physical infrastructure of our work. Infrastructure includes boardwalks and viewing platforms, and it also includes the less attractive, but equally important, furnaces and furniture. With the Adderley Infrastructure Endowment, we have a way to sustainably care for The Malcolm Center.
Edward J. “Ted” Frey Jr. Lakeview Room
FREY FOUNDATION
Long before this remarkable place became the Offield Family Viewlands, Ted Frey saw its potential to bring people together. With meticulous care and attention to detail, he built Little Traverse Bay Golf Club and Restaurant where golfers and non-golfers alike could gather and enjoy one of northern Michigan’s most extraordinary views. The Frey Foundation is carrying that legacy forward through a $550,000 gift to The Malcolm Center. By naming the Edward J. “Ted” Frey Jr. Lakeview Meeting Room within the Stewardship Hall, the Foundation honors Ted’s vision for this special location, now as a welcome place to gather, learn, connect, and advance conservation for generations to come.
