Light of the World

Longtime Gtrlc Contributors Provide Leadership Support For Conservation

The first time the Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy’s Glen Chown visited Tom and Debby McMullen at their home, Tom wanted to clear the air.

“You know, Glen, I’m the enemy. Do you know that?” he said, referencing his career as a real estate developer in the Ann Arbor area.

Chown, who was then in his thirties and just starting as the Conservancy’s executive director, knew very well about McMullen’s real estate business. “Absolutely not!” he exclaimed. “You have an interest in the Conservancy, and you’re developing property here in Ann Arbor that will not be preserved.”

Roughly 30 years later, Tom recollects that discussion with a laugh, “So my first time meeting with Glen, he set me straight and said I’m not the enemy.”

Far from it. Since making their first gift to the Conservancy thirty years ago, the McMullens have contributed every year with increasing support and are among those responsible for shaping the Conservancy into the enduring and successful organization it is today.

“They have been absolutely critical to our success,” Chown explained. “And I am forever grateful for their leadership support and the friendship we have enjoyed over three decades. They’re very caring, and really just special people. I can’t say enough good things about them.”

Despite their success and many accomplishments, the McMullens have remained humble throughout their lives, approaching their giving from their hearts, a deep commitment to their faith, and a sense of responsibility to make the world a better place.

Tom grew up in Ann Arbor and has fond memories of visiting his parents’ small Lake Michigan cottage in Frankfort. As a young man, he made a nice living in Pennsylvania and Chicago for a few years, but decided he didn’t want to work for a big company his entire life. With just $1,500 and a pickup truck, he quit his job and proposed to Debby, a Wellesley College graduate, who worked in Chicago for World Book Encyclopedia for three years until she married Tom.

Shortly after, the newlyweds moved to Walloon Lake, where Tom worked as a home builder and Debby served her community as neighborhood chairwoman of the Girl Scouts for Emmet, Charlevoix, and Antrim Counties. For two winters, Debby managed the Bahnhof Ski Shop in Petoskey and for two summers there, she taught sailing to adults and teens at Camp Michigania on Walloon Lake. They grew more attached to the area while enjoying their free time skiing, sailing, and golfing. "You could ski all of Boyne country, all winter, for just $40!" Debby said, reflecting on that time. "My family came from northern Sweden where the forests were, so I’ve got it in my bones! That gives me my love for winter and snow."

They returned to Ann Arbor a couple of years later and purchased an old farmhouse on the city’s south side–the same home where they raised their children and have lived for the last 57 years. There, Debby became acquainted with legendary University of Michigan professor Bill Stapp, often cited as the “Father of Environmental Education”, and Bill Browning, a beloved outdoor education teacher with Ann Arbor schools. Inspired by these innovators, she became active in environmental education and brought elementary students on field trips to local nature preserves, using traveling time in the buses to teach them all the interesting history of Ann Arbor.

She also became a proponent of the Saginaw Forest, a University of Michigan property used for forestry, research, and instruction. She established an endowment for the property’s preservation, for which she asked Glen Chown to serve on an advisory committee.

While they established roots downstate, the McMullens remained tied to northern Michigan and continued taking trips north to take a break from life in the city. In 1980–after purchasing two vacant lots they had serendipitously discovered on vacation–they built a modest home on Elk Lake. They still visit the same cottage today with their children and grandchildren.

As they grew more attached to the region, they became more concerned about protecting it.

“The whole area–not just Elk Lake, but over to Frankfort, and across Lake Leelanau, Grand Traverse Bay and Traverse City–it’s the best spot to be in July and August of any place on the planet,” said Tom. “We were in favor of preserving land that could be developed, but shouldn’t be developed.”

They went on to make substantial investments in a diverse portfolio of protected lands across the region. Their contributions significantly impacted the Campaign for Generations, providing integral support for remodeling the Maple Bay Farmhouse, the Regional Forest Protection Program, and the protection of priority lands throughout the Chain of Lakes.

Most recently, through a leadership gift in the form of a challenge grant, they supported the protection and development of a place for conservation hosting the Conservancy’s new office.

Given its proximity to Traverse City, Tom understood just how attractive the property now known as Mitchell Creek Meadows: The Don and Jerry Oleson Nature Preserve was to a developer. “To see the Conservancy have control of that and build a central facility there was exciting beyond belief,” he said.

When Chown brought Tom and Debby for a tour of the facility and asked if they would like the building dedicated in their honor, they were stunned and humbly noted that many other donors had contributed to the fundraising effort.

Yet according to Chown, their significant gift came at a crucial time. “Without them, we wouldn’t have been able to pull this off,” he explained. “Their challenge grant set a bar and stimulated many other donations.”

Though flattered, the McMullens never sought to bring attention to their name and were initially wary about the idea. After praying on it and mulling over the decision, Debby shared a verse from the New Testament (Matthew 5: 14-16) with Chown:

“You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill can't be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a bucket. No, it's placed on a lamp stand and it provides light to everyone in the house. In the same way, you should let your light shine before everyone so they can see the good things you do and praise your heavenly Father.”

For Debby, her faith helped guide her decision. “Having my Lord to consult makes me love creation all the more because I know I will get an answer,” she said. “When I get an answer that is nothing I had thought of before, it proves to me He is here for me every time I ask for something. It brings glory to Him and strengthens Him. I don’t want the glory.”

Tom, noting that he has long felt land protection will improve the quality of development, shared his gratitude for the impact their giving will have on future generations. “To set aside properties like Maple Bay and Maplehurst is just unbelievable,” he said. “They will be there next year, in ten years and 100 years. The fact all these properties will never be developed… it’s just exciting to see that.”

To discuss a gift to the Conservancy, contact Marissa Duque at mduque@gtrlc.org or (231) 929.7911.