Claire Wood, communications director for the Leelanau Conservancy in Leland, moved to the county in her 20s and she now calls the area home. She says that her job combines her love for storytelling with the great outdoors, and she is a member of several nonprofits and a committee.
Wood grew up near Lansing and graduated from Michigan State University. Both her parents worked in education, so they had time for family field trips in the summer. The Sleeping Bear Dunes and Manitou Islands were regular vacation spots for the Wood family, which is how Claire was introduced to the county.
After graduating, Wood started her career at McGraw Hill, a large educational publisher, in Chicago. She said that she enjoyed working for the company, but city life was not a good fit for her. Although she would continue freelancing for McGraw Hill, Wood’s next gig took her back to Michigan and out of corporate offices.
