Please help us welcome three new OCF committee members this year—Nate Lawes, Karen Borowiak, and Brian Wallace. Nate and Karen will serve on the Scholarship Committee, and Brian will join the Governance Committee.
Nate Lawes has lived in Otsego County since he was two years old. He and his wife, Kristan, share five children, and both have careers that keep them connected to their community—Kristan is the Administrative and Business Assistant for the superintendent at Johannesburg-Lewiston Area Schools, and Nate is a department analyst for the Michigan State Police. He also works for the Otsego EMS/Rescue as an EMT-Basic/Rescue Tech and volunteer firefighter for Charlton Fire/EMS department. Like many Otsego County residents, Nate loves all that this area has to offer, from the outdoors to great restaurants and shops. As a part of the Scholarship Committee, Nate looks forward to providing needed resources to the students of this area to help them attain higher education. He wants to lead by example for the greater good of Otsego County. His favorite movie cast—the kids from The Sandlot. You’re killing me, Nate.
Karen Borowiak moved to Otsego County in the seventh grade from Connecticut when her father retired from the Coast Guard. She and her husband Mitchell raised three children here and enjoyed watching them grow up playing baseball, hockey, basketball, football, and soccer. For Karen, Otsego County is a fantastic place to raise a family, and she hopes that it remains that way. She and her family enjoyed the outdoors by camping and taking walks. Karen worked at St. Mary’s Cathedral School for over thirty years and is in her first year of retirement. She loves to read, especially if the characters make her laugh or cry.
Brian Wallace grew up playing and working in the corn fields of Indiana. That’s where he met his wife Lydia, a Gaylord native. The two met in college and have been married for 18 years. They returned to the Gaylord area in 2017 with their two Fox Red Labradors, Cooper and Luna. Brian joined The Team Real Estate Group in 2018 and is the founder and CEO of Hope Financial Coaching. Brian loves that Otsego County offers a lot of what he enjoyed as a kid growing up in Indiana, with fewer opportunities to get into trouble. He recognizes that Otsego County is growing and wants to be a part of it. Brian says he has seen how the OCF supports our community and couldn’t say no when the opportunity to serve on the Governance Committee came up. It is a way to put actions to his words about being involved in the Otsego Community and a small step toward being part of “something amazing.” Look for Brian and Lydia at the bowling alley, and you may see Brian at local shooting competitions.