Celebrating the Next Class of Community Leaders: RDLI 25-26
Congratulations to the 2025/2026 Rollie Denison Leadership Institute (RDLI) cohort on their graduation from this year’s program! The RDLI is a professional educational program to strengthen leadership skills in our community members. Throughout the program, participants engage with various sectors of the community while expanding their network and enhancing their professional growth.
The six-month program gave participants the opportunity to explore a range of industries within the community alongside their leadership curriculum. These included healthcare, education, local government, and the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe. The cohort consisted of 21 individuals representing a variety of organizations across industries such as healthcare, banking, hospitality, higher education, local government, and more. Meet the full cohort below:
Photo of the 25-26 RDLI cohort during their graduation ceremony. Photo taken by Dan Gaken.
2025 – 2026 RDLI Cohort
Mike Arnett, Members First Credit Union
Jon Baker, E & S Graphics, Inc.
Lauren Baker, City of Mt. Pleasant
Jordan Ensing, Mt. Pleasant Area Convention and Visitors Bureau
Maezie Ervin, Central Michigan University
Patrick Hunt, Isabella Community Credit Union
Hannah Lynch, Charter Township of Union
Makenzie Marshall, Isabella Citizens for Health
Hannah Martin, Central Michigan University
Carter McCullough, Mercantile Bank
Jasmine Pendell, Comfort Inn & Suites and Conference Center
Kaylan Rauch, EightCAP, Inc.
Lance Schoonover, Isabella County Transportation Commission
Julie Simon, MyMichigan Health
Brittany Smith, SERVPRO of Mt. Pleasant, Clare & Houghton Lake
Bonnie Sprague, Soaring Eagle Waterpark and Hotel
Amanda Tillotson, Isabella Bank
Lauren Travis, Huntington National Bank
Jenae Tuma, Blystone & Bailey, CPAs, PC
Deb Wentworth, Isabella Bank
Brandi Yarger, General Agency Company
“Congratulations to this year’s cohort!” Remarked Mt. Pleasant Area Chamber of Commerce President & CEO, Padraic McMeel. “We are proud to have the Chamber continue to offer this program, and play a part in fostering leadership and connection in our community.”
Learn more about the Rollie Denison Leadership Institute
Over 300 community members have gone through the Rollie Denison Leadership Institute since its inception in 1990, who now stand and serve as pillars of our community, from vice presidents and executive directors strategically moving organizations forward, to managers and coordinators who are leading the charge. Learn more about all of our RDLI alumni.
Dan Gaken serves as the program’s facilitator. Gaken also serves as the Director of the Sarah R. Opperman Leadership Institute at Central Michigan University and is a nationally recognized leadership speaker. Gaken is the past president of the Michigan Chapter of the American College Personnel Association (ACPA) and a directorate member for the ACPA Mid-Level Community of Practice, and has served ten years as the Michigan Association of Secondary School Principal’s Level III leadership curriculum director.
The program, formerly known as the Mt. Pleasant Area Leadership Institute, was renamed in honor of Rollie Dension. Denison was a CMU alumnus who was immensely dedicated to the Mt. Pleasant community, from serving as mayor in the 1950’s to helping start Art Reach of Mid Michigan. His drive for leadership inspired many and the Rollie Dension Leadership Institute stands as one piece of his long legacy.