Ron Beeber and Amy LaBarge named 2022 Pentwater Citizens of the Year.

Ron Beeber and Amy LaBarge named 2022 Pentwater Citizens of the Year.

PENTWATER — The Pentwater Service Club announced that Ron Beeber and Amy LaBarge have been named the Pentwater Service Club’s 2022 Citizens of the Year.  

“Amy and Ron won the community-wide competition over several other nominated community leaders because of the couple’s many philanthropic and community leadership activities,” states a PSC press release.  

“For nearly 50 years, the PSC has recognized the best of the best when it comes to making Pentwater — already a great place — an even better place to live, by recognizing those individuals who have given of themselves to improve the quality of life in Pentwater,” said Bart Zachrich, incoming club president. “Both winners have deep roots in the community and have been inspirational when it comes to giving back.”  

Amy LaBarge co-founded the Oceana chapter of 100+ Women Who Care, a group of more than 100 local women that meets quarterly with each member contributing $100 to a local charity. “This group has since become a ‘power force for good’ in the greater Pentwater area, raising tens of thousands of dollars for other area not-for-profit organizations.”  

LaBarge is a past commodore of the Pentwater Yacht Club, having held each of the club’s major leadership roles over four years. She is also the co-chair of the club’s building fund, which has been credited with raising $1.5 million to date toward the complete PYC reconstruction project nearing completion. 

The Pentwater Farmer’s Market hosted by the Pentwater Chamber of Commerce has been chaired by LaBarge since 2012.

Ron Beeber has been a driving force behind the Pentwater Historical Society, founding the museum’s history boat and the ‘guide by cell’ program. Beeber, a longtime member of the Pentwater Service Club, has chaired the sand sculpture contest during Homecoming weekend for the past 10 years. He has served as communications chair for the Pentwater Yacht Club. He also played a leadership role in getting Longbridge Road reopened after it was closed in June of 2020 due to high water.

“Both LaBarge and Beeber are generous benefactors to the Foundation for Oceana County and more recently were responsible for the renovation of North Park and life rings along the channel,” states the press release.

“Once again, the Pentwater Service Club has nominated two very deserving people to hold the title ‘2022 Persons of the Year,’ both of whom I have known for years to give generously of their time, talents and money to organizations and causes we all love,” said Claudia Ressel-Hodan, club member and 2021 Citizen of the Year.

A dinner in the couple’s honor is planned for Oct. 6, 2022, at the new Pentwater Yacht Club.

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