Board of Director Candidates
Mary Jo Ferguson
I care about Canada Creek. My
involvement and concern have been
lifelong. I participated with my
family in the first campground
activities, on the waterfront, then in
a family built cabin. My personal
membership was purchased as I
started my own family.
I have worked with prior managers
and served on the Board of Directors
20 years ago. During the 50th year
of the ranch, I served as the night front desk manager under
Jim Porritt. I served a term on the Board when Ken Cramer
was manager. Long term planning, like the endowment fund
and forestry plans, were enacted or renewed then. I
understand the challenges of long term management of the
Ranch.
I use the campground, storage area, rental cabins and
clubhouse, and regularly visit both of my siblings’ cabins. I
understand the concerns of both part-time users, cabin
owners and those having a home and retirement investment
here on the ranch as I have all of these scenarios within my
immediate family. For the past several years I have sponsored
and coordinated waterfront races. I do this to give more
members the lasting fun memories the Ranch has always
been about. I am concerned that member’s families have the
good times that CCR has provided for so many, affordably
without troubles or controversy.
I am an engineer who retooled to teach about 10 years ago. I
teach courses in Physics, Engineering, Energy and
Mathematics at a school in Dearborn. I coach a FIRST robotics
team. I am also the teacher of record for a million dollar+
Mechatronics program. I teach manufacturing skills to
students with instructors from HFC, Eastern and LSSU. I
handle the planning and funding of these programs for the
school. I write and receive numerous grants each year to
continue and grow these programs at the school. I am
experienced in the planning and budgeting required to keep
these programs functioning and expanding each year.
I am the mother of two Eagle Scouts. My older son is a recent
graduate of the U o fM in Engineering. My second son is an
engineering student at LSSU and works at Cole Canoe Base.
My own education is a BS in Mechanical Engineering from
the U of Illinois. My Masters is in Civil Engineering from
Wayne State. I worked as a construction inspector for MDOT
and as a consulting Engineer for almost 20 years. I served as
the city engineer for several municipalities. Collecting data
and analysis of results for federal requirements and
presentation to municipal clients was routinely part of my
responsibilities. I have worked at multiple consulting firms
because of my ability to fulfill requirements for federal and
municipal projects so successfully.
Personally, I enjoy camping on the ranch, boating, big boat
sailing and racing and snowmobiling. I have been asked to
join the Board of the Friends of the Detroit River and currently
volunteer on a water sample collection team for the Huron
River Watershed Council. I own and maintain my own home
in Riverview, MI.
Nick Schulz
I would like to first thank the
nominating
committee
for
considering me as a candidate for the
Canada Creek Ranch Board of
Directors.
My family ’s membership at CCR
goes back 3 generations to my
grandparents, they came to CCR and
became campground users before
ultimately, building cabins. My
parents met at CCR and both grew up enjoying the ranch as
a vacation spot. After I married my wife Jordan, we became
members of CCR, you will find us most evenings in the
summer around our campfire with our golden retrievers, Lexie
and Kodiak and friends/family.
We enjoy all aspects of what a CCR membership is, whether
it’s looking for elk outback, relaxing on the beach, or
snowmobiling in the winter. I’m an avid bird hunter and also
enjoy spending time trying to harvest that trophy buck! I’m
also chairman of the Campground Committee.
I graduated from Fenton High School in 2001 and attended
The University of Michigan- Flint, and Mott Community
College where I studied fire science. I joined the City of
Fenton Fire Department in 2001 as a firefighter/EMT. I’m the
General Manager of Dewey’s Auto Center Inc. We’re an
independent Goodyear dealership and full service
automotive repair shop, I’m responsible our day-to-day
operation, I’m also vice president of the Fenton Rotary Club.
I believe it’s critical to listen to what people are telling you
and use the information to make sound decisions that benefit
the entire membership. I know at CCR not all decisions made
by the Board will be popular, and it’s vital that board members
communicate why a decision was made. Members deserve
to always be educated as to what the board’s goals, and
missions are. The manager and staff need to be held
accountable to the Board for the decisions they make in the
course of everyday CCR business.
I believe it’s absolutely critical that the Board be transparent
in decision-making, and reasoning that they use to make
decisions. This club is many things to many people and holds
a special place in each member ’s heart. The Mission
Statement is clear on what direction that the club should move
and should be used to guide decisions that are made by the
Board, manager, and members of the club. We need to proceed
forward with a sense of SERVICE to club by all members,
through volunteerism or getting involved at a leadership
level. We need to take PRIDE in what the generations of
members before us have left, and honor the long standing
TRADITION that members of CCR started, before we were
all blessed with the opportunity to be a part of this great
club. I will treat each member with the professionalism and
respect, and would work to maintain the hunting, fishing,
and conservation traditions that this club was built on. By
using our mission statement and by-laws to guide our
decisions, we can assure that our club is sustainable for future
generations. Please feel free to contact me by phone or text
(810) 922-2056.
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