Stacie Schlichtenmyer: Volunteering Creates Community and Connection

A Place to Be Present

Stacie Schlichtenmyer first fell in love with lake life as a teenager, when her parents bought a little place on Portage Lake in southern Michigan, not far from where she grew up. Years later, after her career brought her to Warsaw, she settled on Pike Lake with her husband and daughter. 

“It’s just gorgeous,” Stacie says. From her home on the channel, she can open her back doors onto sweeping views of the water. With limited speeds and minimal development, Pike is also peaceful and quiet, a nature lover’s lake. “There’s so much wildlife,” she marvels. “Bald Eagles fly over, and we have a heron that hangs out by us.”

When Stacie learned to water ski, she discovered a new passion and a new way to appreciate lake life. Last year, she joined the Lake City Skiers, a local water ski show team. “It’s so fun!” she laughs, remembering climbing her teammates’ shoulders on her very first day of practice. She loves the challenge, the camaraderie, and the way her teammates help her learn and grow. “Everyone there absolutely loves skiing, and they love being with other people who love skiing.” 

Skiing also gives Stacie a way to unplug. As a realtor with a thriving business, it can be tough to disconnect from work–but she can’t answer her phone on skis. Every Wednesday morning in summer, Stacie drives to nearby Hidden Lake, stashes her device, and sits by the water until it’s time to begin practice. “To be somewhere and be present is so important for me,” she says. On those mornings, “There’s nowhere else in the world I’d rather be.” 

Finding Connection and Community

Stacie attended her first meeting of the Pike Lake Association in 2017, not long after she bought her home. That’s where she learned about the challenges facing her lake, like pollution carried in from Deeds Creek, which threatens Pike’s long-term health. “This affects my daughter, my family, my community. What do we need to do?” Stacie asked. “What can I do?” 

She quickly connected with The Watershed Foundation, joining the mailing list, volunteering to collect water quality data, and eventually joining the Board of Directors in 2022. Now she’s an at-large executive member, serves on multiple committees, and helps with events like Rafting Week and the annual Cottage Tours.

Through her work with TWF, Stacie has learned more about water quality issues across the watershed, as well as the people and organizations working hard to protect local lakes. “I want to know everything,” she says. “I’m thirsty for knowledge.” That knowledge helps her serve her real estate clients too. “Education is a huge part of what I do. The most insignificant part of my job is opening the door to a house.”  

Like skiing, volunteering has also given Stacie a sense of community, a way to be part of something bigger than herself. It connects her with like-minded, passionate people who invest in what matters most to them. 

“You only have so much time,” she points out. She chooses to spend hers on what she loves.

We’re grateful to Stacie for giving her time to care for our lakes and communities!