About us
Who are THE NORTH MANITOU LIGHT KEEPERS?
North Manitou Light Keepers (“NMLK”) is a team of stewards dedicated to rehabilitating, maintaining, and appreciating the North Manitou Shoal Light in Leelanau County, Michigan. This offshore lighthouse, known locally as “The Crib” due to its design, is a wonderful piece of Lake Michigan maritime history. It sits amidst the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore and the Manitou Islands, in the middle of some of America’s most beautiful landscape.
The Crib houses currently active navigational equipment maintained by the U.S. Coast Guard. However, since 1980 when its navigational equipment was automated, the structure of the lighthouse had remained empty and lightly maintained. A meaningful restoration of the lighthouse structure was necessary to stop its further deterioration, make it “pretty” again, and make it available to the public for viewing and appreciation.
In the summer of 2016, the U.S. General Services Administration opened an auction to sell the North Manitou Shoal Light. Upon hearing this news, four families of dreamers and doers rallied together to bid on and win the auction for the lighthouse. Daniel and Anna Oginsky, Dave and Sherry McWilliam, Todd and Natalie Buckley, and Jake and Suzanne Kaberle founded NMLK, with the goal of acquiring The Crib and completing its restoration and opening it to the public by July 4, 2021. Officially, NMLK was established on August 16, 2016 as a Michigan non-profit corporation named North Manitou Light Keepers, Inc. NMLK is managed by its board of directors, who are Daniel Oginsky (President), Anna Oginsky, Dave McWilliam, Jake Kaberle, and Jason Sieloff.
After winning the public auction for the North Manitou Shoal Light, NMLK received official notification from the U.S. General Services Administration that its bid was accepted on September 28, 2016. In June 2017 NMLK completed its acquisition upon receiving approval from the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality to occupy the “bottomlands” (at the bottom of Lake Michigan) on which The Crib sits.
Since that time, NMLK has been moving forward with its plan to fully restore the lighthouse. In 2021, a major milestone was reached when visits to the lighthouse were made available to the public. With the exterior nearing completion, and interior work beginning, the hope is to be able to offer overnight stays within a couple of years.
NMLK invites those who share the passion, dream and commitment to care for this piece of history to join in on the mission. Member benefits at $25 and above provide increased levels of involvement and support. Additionally, the organization launched its “Campaign For The Crib” capital fundraising effort to cover the renovation costs of the coming years. Donation levels begin at $1000. All donations to the organization are tax deductible.
North Manitou Light Keepers team
Daniel Oginsky, NMLK Board President
Daniel is a proud Michigan native, born and raised in Flint. He, his wife Anna, and their three kids now live in Brighton, Michigan and enjoy time at their home in Elk Rapids, Michigan. Daniel is a senior executive at a company headquartered in Michigan that owns, maintains, and operates infrastructure in seven states across the U.S. He grew up working in the garage and restoring old cars into show cars, and he loves family, history, Lake Michigan, art, and Michigan State University. Daniel is dedicated to making awesome things and making things awesome, and he is excited to make the North Manitou Shoal Light beautiful and open to the public.
Anna Oginsky, NMLK board member
As a child Anna spent summers camping with her family in Kalkaska. She loves Lake Michigan and was delighted to learn that Daniel shared that love when she met him as a sophomore at Michigan State. She is now happiest when exploring and making memories with Daniel and their three children in Northern Michigan. Anna published her first book, the award-winning, My New Friend, Grief in the summer of 2016. She offers classes and retreats designed to help guests tune in to their own inner wisdom through her business, Heart Connected. She can’t wait to help transform the Crib!
Dave McWilliam, nmlk board vice president / director of restoration
Dave was born and raised in Farmington Hills, and currently lives in Brighton. Father of two children and husband of Sherry, Dave has vacationed in the Leelanau and Traverse City area his entire life. Dave is a pilot for Delta Airlines, and on his days off enjoys working outside on his small hobby farm growing crops and caring for his animals. He is excited to be a part of the restoration team that will restore and open the Crib to the community, and looks forward to the complex challenges that this project will offer.
JAKE KABERlE, nmlk board member
Born and raised in Traverse City, Michigan, Jake always has loved being on the water. Jake is the General Manager and operating partner of Burritts Fresh Market in Traverse City. A father of three and husband of Suzanne, Jake spends his free time on Long Lake, mountain bike riding, and day trips hiking in Leelanau County. Jake’s passion for restoring the North Manitou Shoal Light comes from years of charter fishing out of Leland, hikes on Pyramid Point, and adventures to South Manitou Island.
JAson Sieloff, nmlk treasurer
sherry McWilliam, nmlk business manager
Sherry is one of the founding members of North Manitou Light Keepers. Wife of Dave, she enjoyed more of a “backseat view” of the organization in its early years. In 2023, the position of Business Manager opened up just as Sherry’s youngest had left for college; the time seemed right for her to take up a more supportive role. In this position, Sherry manages memberships, scheduling tours, marketing and social media. When not attending to lighthouse duties, she enjoys teaching yoga, riding her horse Finn, and caring for her and Dave’s family farm.