Inheriting The Future

Two years ago, David Wahl was a quiet kid from Gaylord who almost didn't apply for a trip to Washington D.C. He did. And it changed everything. In Episode 2 of Inheriting the Future, we sit down with the woman behind that experience — Michigan Youth Tour Director Katie Deller — and ask her about the cooperative principles that power rural Michigan, the history of a movement that refused to leave small towns behind, and what it means to invest in young people who don't yet know what they're capable of.

About Katie Deller:

Katie Deller is the Member Engagement Director at the Michigan Electric Cooperative Association (MECA) where she serves as the Director of the Michigan contingent of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) Washington DC Youth Tour. Each year she selects, prepares, and mentors a cohort of high school students from rural Michigan communities for a transformative week in the nation's capital — connecting them to their government, their history, and their potential. She is credited with revitalizing the Youth Tour in Michigan following the pandemic and has spent her career championing the cooperative principles of Education & Training and Concern for Community. Her work has quietly shaped the lives of dozens of young people across rural Michigan every single year.

Learn more about Katie and the NRECA's Youth Tour at: https://www.electric.coop/our-organization/youth-programs/about-the-youth-tour.

For over 40 years, Paul Beachnau has been the driving force behind Gaylord's identity as a world class destination. But before any of that — he left. In Episode 1 of Inheriting the Future, we sit down with one of Northern Michigan's most impactful community builders and ask him the questions that matter most. What does it take to build something worth inheriting? And when it came to choosing between home and everything else, how did he know home was always the answer?

About Paul Beachnau

Paul Beachnau is the Executive Director of the Gaylord Area Convention and Tourism Bureau — a position he has held for over 40 years. A lifelong Northern Michigan resident, Paul was one of the youngest chamber directors in Michigan history and went on to co-found the Gaylord Golf Mecca, helping establish Gaylord as one of the premier golf destinations in the country. He has served as an Otsego County Commissioner, currently chairs the Northwest Regional Airport Authoity overseeing the Gates to the Future terminal expansion at Cherry Capital Airport, and serves as President-Elect of the Rotary Club of Gaylord. In 2024, he was named Der Bergermeister (Honorary Mayor) for Gaylord's Alpenfest and received the Trailblazer Award in 2022 for his lifetime commitment to Northern Michigan tourism.

Learn more about Paul and the Gaylord Area Convention and Tourism Bureau at gaylordmichigan.net.