About Mike McManus
A leader, a listener and a lifelong resident of Northwest Michigan, Mike McManus is the strong voice we need representing Benzie, Leelanau, Manistee and Mason counties in the Michigan House of Representatives. Mike is a hardworking, results-driven candidate with solid Republican values and the experience to get the job done.
A fourth-generation cherry farmer, Mike's roots run deep in our community. He and his high-school sweetheart, Janet Courtad of Traverse City, reside on one of the family farms in Leelanau County, where they have produced cherries for more than 30 years. Mike attended Northwest Michigan College, graduated from Michigan State University and went on to earn a master's degree from Central Michigan University. After one year in the Carmen School District near Flint, Mike returned to Northwest Michigan and continued his lifelong career, teaching for the Traverse City Area Public Schools.
Mike has been a leader in the education and agricultural communities. He has held all the top offices of the Northwestern Michigan College Board of Trustees and the Board of Directors for the Northwest Michigan Horticultural Research Foundation, which represents horticulturalists from Benzie, Leelanau and Manistee counties. Mike's tenure as an NMC Trustee saw the college add the Dennos Museum, Milliken Auditorium, NMC University Center, James J. Beckett Building, M-Tech, and the Great Lakes Maritime Academy. He also is a member of the Northwest Michigan County Farm Bureau, as well as the Michigan Farm Bureau and the American Farm Bureau Federation.
Mike believes that good leaders must be good listeners. He has taken part in hundreds of meetings with constituents throughout the 101st District to learn about the issues that matter to them, and he plans to meet with hundreds more before he's done. Throughout his career, he has earned a reputation as a motivator and a consensus-builder, traits that will serve the residents of the 101st District well in Lansing.
Mike and Janet have two grown children, Michelle and James, and seven grandchildren. They reside in Leland Township and belong to St. Mary's of the Assumption Lake Leelanau, where Mike is a member of the Knights of Columbus.
Memberships and affiliations:
Citizens for EquityLeelanau Conservancy
Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy
Leelanau County Conservation District
Cherryland Rural Electric Cooperative
Leelanau Peninsula Chamber of Commerce
Grand Traverse Area Chamber of Commerce (includes Leelanau and Benzie counties)
Grand Traverse Area Right to Life (includes Benzie and Manistee counties)
Right to Life of Michigan
Michigan Coalition for Responsible Gun Owners
National Rifle Association (NRA)
National Wild Turkey Federation
Cedar Rod & Gun Club