Beth Friend was first elected to township office in 2004 as a Township Trustee. After serving the four-year term, she was elected in 2008 to the Grand Traverse County Board of Commissioners. In 2010, Beth did not seek election to any office, taking two years off for additional time with her family and volunteer interests. In 2012, Beth returned to the East Bay Township Board of Trustees after a successful election as Trustee.
With a combined decade of local government experience, Beth was elected as Township Supervisor in 2016. Throughout these years, Beth has served on numerous boards and commissions, including a four-year period as Chair of the Grand Traverse Metro Emergency Services Authority, a position held by an annual appointment from her fellow Metro Board Members.
Beth Friend holds a Bachelor's Degree in Economics and a Master's Degree in Agricultural & Natural Resource Economics from West Virginia University. Upon marriage after graduate school, Beth moved to Michigan in 1992 with her husband, they have lived in East Bay Township ever since.
Statutory Duties of a Township Supervisor
Duties of a Township Supervisor per the Charter Township Act
Core Competencies of a Township Supervisor
Check out the list of township accomplishments during Beth's first term.
Certifications & Academies
October 2021 - Michigan Certified Assessing Officer
March 2020 - Certified Market Manager by MiFMA
June 2020 - Redevelopment Ready Communities Virtual Academy
April 2019 - MSU's Institute of Public Utilities Accounting & Ratemaking Course
May 2017 - Michigan Certified Assessing Technician
Email: bfriend@eastbaytwp.org