The Traverse City Track Club (TCTC) has announced the hiring of Carie Wille as its new executive director. Wille will succeed Lisa Taylor in the role, who announced her retirement in September. Taylor was the first official executive director for the organization and has served in the executive director job since 2017. Wille, a Traverse City local with nearly 20 years of experience in community and economic development, will take over leadership of the 800-plus-member organization beginning on February 1.

Wille currently works as the founder and principal of Wille Consulting, LLC, a Traverse City-based business that offers services such as economic development consulting, grant writing and research, and other community development functions. Previously, Wille served for four years as the economic development manager for the City of Maple Grove Minnesota, and before that, as community development director for the cities of Princeton and Vadnais Heights, also in Minnesota. She carries a master of arts in public administration from Hamline University in St. Paul, Minnesota, as well as additional certifications in profit mastery and grand proposal writing.

In a press release announcing Wille’s hire, TCTC highlighted these professional experiences and educational credentials as being aligned well with the functions of the executive director role, which include developing and implementing strategic plans, initiating and overseeing programs and events, and grant proposal and policy writing.

“Carie’s strong community-based career background and professional experience will be an asset to our running club and its 800-plus local members from the five-county area we serve,” said TCTC Board President Janice Beyer. “I’m thrilled to welcome Carie to the TCTC family and know that our entire community will benefit from her passion for our club’s mission and core values.”

TCTC offers running-based programming in Traverse City and throughout the five-county region, including the annual Bayshore Marathon, increasingly a top-drawing major marathon race in Michigan and the Midwest. Proceeds from Bayshore typically allow TCTC to distribute grant funding to local organizations whose missions “relate to [TCTC’s] running, walking, and health-related mission.” Heading into the 41st Bayshore Marathon this year – for which registration is now open – TCTC has reportedly granted over $2.5 million to local projects and initiatives.

In addition to her community development background, Wille is also a runner and a member of TCTC, having joined in 2020. In 2022, she ran the Bayshore Half Marathon and finished third in the female masters division.