PRESIDENT

Bill was born and raised in Pennsylvania. After college, a 40+ year career in the packaging industry took him from San Francisco to New York City. For the last 15 years of his career, he was vice president sales and marketing for an international trading company with manufacturing partners and clients worldwide. Bill married Suzanne Stell in summer 1987 at the Stell cabin. Suzanne and their two sons have been enjoying Big Mantrap Lake their entire lives. After retiring in 2022, Suzanne and Bill decided to move to Park Rapids to be closer to their cabin on Big Mantrap Lake.

VICE PRESIDENT

Mark Condiff has been enjoying Mantrap Lake for over 50 years. It started when he was a kid growing up in Wadena, Minnesota, and his family camped at the state campground on Mantrap. His dad then built a hunting cabin a mile south of the lake where the family stayed while frequently coming over to fish.  Mark and his wife, Cindy, bought their own cabin in Steamboat Bay in 1993. Mark and Cindy live in Plymouth, Minnesota, but spend much more time on the lake since retiring in 2021. Mark enjoys hunting and fishing and is a volunteer with the loon program.

TREASURER

Kathy and Rollie Nevins purchased their lake property in fall 2015. Kathy was a full-time resident by summer 2017 when she started working for Essentia Health as a nurse practitioner. Rollie retired in January 2025. Kathy continues to work virtually, caring for hospitalized patients with the Addiction Medicine Consult Service. Their canine companion, Bailey, never gets too far from them. They love the lake, loons, trees, wildlife, sunsets and wildflowers. Kathy says living here is great therapy for the mind, body and soul. The Nevins’ five kids and five grandkids also enjoy family time at the lake.

BOARD MEMBER

Linda Zawacki and her husband, Jim, have been on Mantrap Lake since September 2012, and have enjoyed visiting the Park Rapids area for over 25 years. Linda works two days a week in the Twin Cities as a cosmetologist. She has been a BMLA board member for nine years, first serving as secretary and currently as treasurer. During her tenure, Linda established the Adopt a Highway Program involving Mantrap Lake volunteers and developed welcome packets for new lake residents. She says it’s a pleasure serving on the BLMA board, helping to protect our beautiful lake.

BOARD MEMBER

Vicki Miller has had the good fortune to enjoy Mantrap for more 35 years. Since retiring in 2017, she spends summers with her spouse, Mary Lou Meier, among their great neighbors at Birch Highlands. They “go south” to Lincoln, Nebraska, for the winter. Professionally, Vicki was a newspaper writer, editor and photographer, an Associated Press reporter and a science communicator for 50 years, retiring as research communications director at the University of Nebraska. These days, she works increasingly part-time as a communications consultant.

BOARD MEMBER

Deb Topp and her husband, Rod, have been Mantrappers for 23 years, first as repeat guests at Fremont’s Point before purchasing their cabin north of Norway Hills resort. Avid anglers, the Topps spend as many weeks as possible at the lake during the summer while some of their family enjoy ice fishing and snowmobiling in winter. Before retiring, Deb was a nurse anesthetist for over 40 years – “passing gas for living.” Rod was a computer programmer and, after retiring, a tour bus driver. The Topps’ two adult children, spouses and five grandkids all enjoy the lake, too.

BOARD MEMBER & AERIE EDITOR

Cindy (Stell) Hemingway has been designing the BMLA Aerie since 2013. Before retiring, she was a graphic designer and self-proclaimed goddess of Adobe InDesign for three decades. She and her siblings (Kate Pierson, Suzanne Dinger and Michael Stell) have spent summers on Mantrap since 1959. They grew up skiing, swimming, reading and playing cards at the lake. She lives with her partner Lee Tesdell on his farm in central Iowa and gets up to the family cabin as often as she can.

ADVISOR

Burney is the BMLA representative to the Hubbard County Coalition of Lake Associations. He does weekly water clarity and monthly water quality monitoring on Big Mantrap, continuing the over 30-year history of such monitoring for our lake. He is a forester who has been a professor at three universities and as well as the Indiana State Forester/director of the Indiana Division of Forestry. Burney serves on numerous forestry-related environmental advisory boards including the Northern Waters Land Trust. Burney and wife Barb have spent their summers at Big Mantrap since 2011.

ADVISOR

Mark is a technology executive working in product strategy and design. Mark and his wife live in Plymouth, MN and have two adult daughters, one in Denver and one in Boston. They purchased their property on Mantrap in 2023. Mark has a passion for the outdoors and embraces Minnesota’s natural playgrounds. Whether he’s boating on Mantrap, hiking Itasca State Park, photographing wildlife, or tackling a mountain bike trail, he finds balance and inspiration from nature and serenity of Big Mantrap Lake, probably while sipping Bourbon.

BOARD MEMBER

Brian Livingston has been fortunate to spend his entire life enjoying Big Mantrap Lake. This has given him a deep appreciation for its beauty and health. As Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) director, Brian works with Hubbard County, local townships and private contractors to secure funding, help identify priority inspection sites and review contractor-recommended treatment plans with the board. He stays informed on current and emerging invasive species threats, regularly inspects vegetation and believes prevention and education are the most important steps to protect our lake for future generations.

BOARD MEMBER

Tish has been a part-time Mantrap resident since 1988. A Minnesota Master Naturalist and loon volunteer, Tish especially appreciates Mantrap’s natural beauty and abundant wildlife. She is a retired biology teacher from Brainerd who is happy to finally be able to enjoy Big Mantrap Lake year-round at her family’s Birch Highlands home.