Megan Schlanderer, Membership Director for the Midland Country Club, is in her first year in the role and new to the area. She previously worked in marketing in Ann Arbor near her hometown. We caught up with Megan what drew her to Midland, what the club has to offer and why she is excited to be here.
Coming from a smaller town, can you share some of your background with us?
I have lived in Michigan my whole life and love my alma mater, Hillsdale College. I decided to study business with a focus in marketing because I felt like it came naturally to me. I grew up around my family’s small business which is close to celebrating 100 years of operation. Growing up, the chatter of business, sales, branding and merchandising always seemed to be around me. My most vivid memories are sitting around the dinner table as a young kid with my family with my dad (or grandpa) discussing what was going on at the store. It was always exciting to me to stay in the loop.
What drew you to Midland, specifically?
I moved up to the area with my fiancé, to follow his career move here and at first I was somewhat reluctant to move “away” from my family, especially being one of the first to do so. However, we have received an incredibly warm welcome so far and that goes a long way for me, and definitely was a deciding factor on where we want to plant our roots.
I grew up in a small town where everyone knew each other and when someone new moved in we would go knock on their door and bring them homemade baked goods, or invite them to the annual neighborhood summer party and Christmas party. I have learned that the Midland community has a lot of the same kind of people, and we are meeting more and more every week. The Midland Country Club has also given me this same warm welcome and I feel very fortunate to be where I’m at, surrounded by so many friendly members and co-workers.
What’s going on at Midland Country Club right now?
The Club had a very successful summer season in 2017 and I have been honored to have a hand in it! This past season, we welcomed over 50 new people and their families to the Club this year as new members!
What benefits does membership offer young professionals like yourself?
Midland Country Club is a fantastic place to network and meet new people in the community in a variety of settings, whether it’s at one of our social functions such as the Spring Gala, Happy Hour events, dining in any one of our restaurant areas, enjoying summer by the pool or challenging your game on the golf course with friends. The Club membership is very involved, with almost 800 local members and almost 900 total members. The Clubhouse and grounds were re-built in 2010 with a resort feel in mind, earning us the tagline, ‘The Club of The Future’. We offer numerous amenities such as our electric car charging station in the parking lot, fat-tire bikes for golfing, tableside French press coffee and our European steam rooms.
If you have an idea of what country clubs may offer but have yet to see what the Midland Country Club is all about, I invite you to come check it out and I would be happy to show you around to see what we’ve got going on!
With the club close by many downtown amenities, what's your favorite spot or what are you excited about as Midland grows?
Yes, the Club is only a few minutes away from the downtown area! I do love to shop and small business retail stores always have a special place in my heart, because of my family’s business. I love a great downtown that is retail-friendly so I am really excited for the Downtown Midland Streetscape to be complete.
The promise of easier access and walkability to the small businesses in downtown Midland excite me for more economic development in the area. This is something that I have grown to be more passionate about since coming to the area. I love seeing new and unique stores or restaurants taking a leap of faith and opening up shop in a downtown area and can’t wait to see more as Midland continues to evolve.
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