Laurie Gaetano-Mier
Beth Anne Piehl, Special Sections Writer
It is not easy to keep up with Laurie Gaetano-Mier.
Maybe it’s a product of her job, ensuring the acres and acres of Emmet County’s parks and recreation opportunities are operating smoothly for the region’s residents and visitors.
But more likely, it’s an innate characteristic — that just so happens to suit her choice of employment.
“I think I’m addicted to chaos,” said Gaetano-Mier, 42. “The challenge is what makes it for me.”
Since childhood, the fast-speaking, fast-smiling county parks and recreation director has held a love for the outdoors. After graduating from Lake Superior State University, she interned with the city of Petoskey Parks and Recreation Department, then went to work for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources rotating shifts among the north region’s state parks and beaches as a park officer.
When the county position opened up five years ago, she jumped at the chance to stay closer to home regularly while raising her five daughters, though the breadth of her responsibilities is surely no smaller.
As the parks and rec director, Gaetano-Mier oversees operations of Camp Pet-O-Se-Ga, east of Petoskey; the Headlands property, west of Mackinaw City on Lake Michigan; county facilities at Cecil Bay, also north in the Mackinaw area; and the county fairgrounds. A recently county-purchased lighthouse will also find a place on her checklist.
“And we still have thousands and thousands of acres that we haven’t gotten to yet,” she noted.
Among the properties, Camp Pet-O-Se-Ga has been a feather in her cap in recent years, after some extensive renovations there that created a new bathhouse, wildlife viewing areas, four renovated cabins for overnight stays and improved handicapped access to the beach. She’s working with architects and designers on further improvements as well.
“To me, Camp Pet-O-Se-Ga seemed like it was the most neglected piece of property,” Gaetano-Mier said. “To see the transformation of that park and what it can be is exciting for me.”
Out and about
Sometimes, to keep track of the hectic schedule she prefers, she relies on her “palm pilot” — literally ink notes and reminders, written on the palm of her hand.
Her days involve frequently traveling among the different county-owned sites and taking care of what needs to be done, whether it’s a design meeting, riding a tractor, running a chainsaw or patching a roof herself.
“To me, the reason I went into parks was when I was young, I loved ‘Peter Pan.’ I used to think, oh my gosh, adults have no fun! It’s like going to school with no recess,” she said. “And then I thought, that’s the key: If you can give people any kind of recreation, where they can enjoy themselves, that’s what it’s about.”
She also takes pride in informing taxpayers that their dollars are being used for these important facilities and resources, and they are welcome and encouraged to use them regularly. That includes the Headlands, a place that to Gaetano-Mier seems “so thick and vast, with no civilization near you. It’s unreal.” Beach access, hiking, and wildlife viewings — including bears — make it a unique spot in the county. Cecil Bay’s sandy beach and Carp River access are unparalleled.
“The residents are blessed here,” she said.
And at the end of each packed day, Gaetano-Mier says she’s still a mom juggling work and family responsibilities, including instilling appreciation in her five girls about caring for the environment and the importance of hard work.
“I tell my 10-year-old daughter,” she added, “‘There is nothing you cannot do.’”
Trying to keep up with…
Who: Laurie Gaetano-Mier, 42
What she does: Runs the Emmet County Parks and Recreation Department as its director
Background: Raised in Sault Ste. Marie, Canada, Lake Superior State University graduate
Professional: Michigan Department of Natural Resources, formerly taught aerobics at Bentley’s
Family: Married to Matt Mier, five daughters
One more quick thing: Instructor for “From Decisions to Actions,” a local court-ordered class for troubled teens.
