About Us

Lenawee Now is a nonprofit public-private partnership dedicated to economic and business expansion throughout Lenawee County. By attracting new businesses, helping to grow established businesses, and supporting entrepreneurial endeavors in Lenawee, Lenawee Now is creating an economically viable and vibrant region. In addition to business attraction, retention and start-up activities, Lenawee Now provides critical services to support business growth including access to funding sources and talent enhancement. Lenawee Now is formerly known as the Lenawee Economic Development Corporation

Patrick D. Farver

Executive Director

Patrick Farver has 40 years of economic development involvement in Lenawee County and 45 years in sales, marketing, engineering, and management with a Lenawee-based international manufacturing company doing business worldwide. In addition to his business experience, Patrick has been involved in various initiatives for community development, serving on various boards in Lenawee County including Boys & Girls Club, United Way, Promedica Hospital.

Patrick is a lifelong resident of Lenawee County, where he lives with his wife of 44 years. He is the father of two children, and a grandfather of two.

Timothy S. Robinson, CEcD, EDFP

Director of Operations

Robinson has been an economic developer since 1997 and earned IEDC certification in 2004. During his career, he has worked with clients such as Toyota, Wacker, General Dynamics, Blissfield Manufacturing, and Hyundai, which have resulted in over 5000 new jobs and $1.5 billion of new investment. Robinson’s extensive experience allows Lenawee Now to leverage a multitude of federal and state programs to the benefit of Lenawee area businesses. In 2006, Tim was named Partner of the Year by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation for “outstanding economic development achievement and collaboration.” And, in 2009, Robinson was named Outstanding Volunteer for the Center for Empowerment and Economic Development’s Microloan program.

Gary Clemetson

Director of Entrepreneurial Services

Supported by the 21st Century Jobs Trust Fund
Gary joined the Lenawee Now team in July of 2016. Gary graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Wolverhampton in the United Kingdom. He then went on to earn his Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Michigan. After obtaining his Master’s degree, he went on to serve as the Senior Manager of Product Management at Kaiser Permanente and worked for the British Government as a Business Development Advisor, where he advised companies from the United States on how to increase their presence in the United Kingdom. Gary brings a lot of great experience to Lenawee County and to Lenawee Now.

Randy Yagiela

Development Director

Randy brings a level of strategic structure to the economic development process. He earned his Master’s Degree from Eastern Michigan University in Interdisciplinary Technology. As a consultant and Certified Workforce Development Professional, Yagiela helps to facilitate planning sessions. Since 2011, he has owned and operated Transformation Connection, which focuses on managing projects, grant writing, and creating constructive changes within companies and organizations.

Dottie Grzebik

Executive Administrative Assistant

Dottie Grzebik joined the Lenawee Now team at the end of 2018 to provide executive-level administrative support. Dottie has a varied background in event management, catering sales, and administrative assistance. With her strong concentration working in a hospitality environment, she has a real passion for helping others.

Sky Ely

Marketing Coordinator

Sky joined Lenawee Now as the Marketing Coordinator in 2021. She graduated from Adrian College with degrees in Marketing and Graphic design. As the Marketing Coordinator, Sky is involved in various functions of communications, including blog posts, campaigns, as well as email and social media communications and design.

Michele Pisano Spence

Business Support Coordinator