Morton Township Residents
for Responsible Development
Board of Directors
Meet the Team
Glenn Spence
President
Glenn is a life-long resident of Michigan who moved to Canadian Lakes in 2019 with his wife, Marilyn. Glenn retired as a Certified General Real Estate Appraiser in 2021 after 20 years. Typical tasks in this role included eminent domain, easements, and appraisal review. Glenn worked for the US Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit, in the Real Estate Department as an appraiser and realty specialist. He reviewed appraisals for land acquisitions as well as managed projects with State, municipal and other Federal agencies. Prior to this, Glenn worked as a contract real estate appraiser for a firm in Ann Arbor specializing in valuations involving condemnations, easements, and other land matters, primarily commercial and industrial. Glenn’s first career was working for Detroit Edison where he held positions in engineering, administration, and marketing. During this time, he managed customer needs for residential, commercial, and industrial customers along with State and Federal agencies. Glenn and Marilyn enjoy this area for the quietness and abundance of wildlife. The West Branch of the Little Muskegon flows through their backyard.
William Watch
Vice President
Bill, President, CEO and Principal of First Commercial Realty & Development Co, Inc., founded the Southfield-based firm with partner Warren Terrace in 1988. Over the years, the company has evolved to become a full-service real estate firm offering expertise in the sale, leasing, property management, construction, and development of commercial properties in the Midwest. First Commercial has been an active participant in real estate development for over 35 years and has developed projects exceeding 3 million square feet of real estate throughout Michigan and the Midwest. Much of the company’s success results from Bill’s ability to work with large corporate entities and public/private partnerships to facilitate the development process, including land assemblage, governmental approval, and financing.
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Bill attended the University of Michigan, earning a Bachelor of Business Administration in 1975, and an MBA with a focus on finance and marketing in 1981. Before founding First Commercial, Bill was a Vice President at Perry Drug Stores, as well as the Midwest Real Estate Representative for Clothestime, a women’s ready-to-wear fashion chain.
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Bill is a member of the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC), and The Urban Land Institute (ULI), where he served as Chairman of the Michigan District Council from 2010 through 2014, and currently serves on the Advisory Board. He is the former Chairman of the University of Michigan/ ULI Real Estate Forum, an annual educational forum that focuses on current trends and issues in the real estate industry. Bill has received numerous awards for his work in the real estate industry.
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Bill’s grandfather purchased one of the first parcels of land sold by the Mecosta Lake Company. Bill and his wife, Teryl, still own this property on Lake Mecosta and enjoy it with their three adult children, their grandson, and their extended family.
Mary
Schregardus
Treasurer
Mary is a resident of Holland, MI but has been coming to Lake Mecosta since 1957 when her parents built their summer retreat there. Over the years, Mary has watched Canadian Lakes develop and cottages change into homes. She is one of five family members who own on the Tri-Lakes and value the beauty of this area. Mary is the youngest child of Gerrard Haworth and though she had a teaching degree, she choose to be a stay at home mom. In 2023, Mary and Martha Boetcher distributed the Shoreline Living Magazine to all Tri-lakes residents. They observed increased algae blooms and ever increasing weeds in the Tri-lakes. This magazine gave some landscaping options that can help filter out the fertilizers etc. that contribute to these issues.
Kris Karcher
Secretary
Kris has enjoyed the Morton Township community her entire life. She spent her childhood at the family cottage on Round Lake, then moved to Lake Mecosta where her parents built their retirement “cottage.” Kris met her husband Dan, a Remus native, here. Dan and Kris lived in the Grandville area for 29 years, raising three children. The Karchers came back and vacationed at the lake as often as possible, purchasing their cottage on School Section Lake in 2009. Kris and Dan moved here in 2019, adding on and making their cottage into a permanent home.
Kris was blessed to be able to stay home with their children. In addition to running a busy family, she enjoyed volunteering on numerous committees, booster clubs, and boards. Kris created and ran the Football Booster’s Website and was on the Board as Secretary. She also volunteers with the School Section Lake Association, where she created and runs their website.
Kris and Dan love the quiet serene nature of this area. From sunrises and sunsets to watching the various wildlife on and around the lake, the views never get old.
Lorne Beatty
Director
Lorne and his wife, Patricia, moved to Canadian Lakes from Brighton, Michigan in June of 2023, after the completion of their new home on the island on East Royal Road. Lorne is a retired independent manufacturer’s sales representative who sold medical equipment in Michigan, Ohio and Indiana for thirty years. Prior to that, he sold aluminum boats and canoes for his family’s manufacturing business located in Tecumseh, Michigan. His wife, Tricia, is a retired RN. Both are 1973 graduates of Grayling High School. Lorne attended the University of Michigan and graduated from Central Michigan University in Mt. Pleasant in 1978, with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology. Lorne and Tricia were recently married in 2018. This is the second marriage for both, so now Lorne has two adult step sons, the oldest of which recently built a new house near them in Canadian Lakes. Lorne has many interests he enjoys in his retirement, including boating, fishing, paddling, hiking, camping and golf in the summer. Lorne is an avid downhill skier in the winter and enjoys birding, scuba diving, music and playing his drums year round. Lorne has been an environmental activist with the Sierra Club for forty years, serving on their Executive Committees at both the state and local levels.
Jane Torry
Director
Jane and her husband, Bill, have been residents of Mecosta County for 50 years. They reside in Canadian Lakes. Currently Jane is a teacher and school board member at St. Peter’s Lutheran School. She retired as Kent ISD coordinator. During this time Jane developed communication with school counselors, tracked data for reports, and was involved in planning and implementing various programs and activities. Jane is a very active community member, presently serving on multiple boards including Friends of Ferris Board, Corewell Health Board, Corewell Health Hospital Auxiliary Board, and Artworks Fund Development Committee. She has also served on the Mecosta County Medical board and Spectrum Health Reed City & Big Rapids board.