THE TEAM
JASON ST. ONGE
Managing PartnerJason has served on the Mackinac Island Board of Education for 20 years, (the last 7 as President), 15 years a City Councilman (the last 3 as Mayor Pro-Tem) and 4 years as Director of Cloverland Electric Cooperative (two years as Chairman) Jason has expert knowledge of small to medium sized organizations and how best to drive performance. Jason holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan and a Master’s of Public Administration from Central Michigan University.
DAN BURPEE
PartnerDan is a strategy-minded finance and analysis executive with 20+ year portfolio of success building roadmaps to significantly enhance bottom lines through diligent market & financial analysis, project management, cost control initiatives, financial modeling, and research backed investment decisions. Dan holds a BSE from the University of Michigan, MBA from Indiana University, a CSS from Harvard University and an MSF from George Washington University.
JAMES ELIASSEN
PartnerJames has been an attorney for 17 years, with extensive experience in both corporate litigation and business strategy. James is a member of the California and Michigan State Bars, as well as various federal courts. In addition to legal experience, James has helped found an auto finance company and a mid-sized property management company in the Grand Rapids area, currently acting as a partner in both. James is also a member of the Rotary Club of Grand Rapids, earning the Paul Harris Fellowship six times, and is a proud Eagle Scout. James holds a Juris Doctorate from the University of California Hastings College of the Law ('03) and a Bachelors of Arts from the University of Michigan ('98)
LISA NIERGARTH
PartnerLisa has extensive organizational and operational experience in both education and health care. She currently contracts with the education division of the Mackinac Center for Public Policy drafting their weekly Michigan Education Digest. Lisa also has served as a trustee and president of Glen Lake Community Schools Board of Education from 2015 through June 2019. She is intimately aware of the needs of vulnerable students as she serves on Bethany Christian Services (a foster and family care agency) Regional Board of Directors and is a member of its LEAD Council. She was appointed by Governor Snyder to serve on The Governor’s Task Force on Child Abuse and Neglect from 2018 through January 2020.
Lisa also has experience with the health care industry from her 15 years as a clinical pharmacy specialist in charge of formulary devolvement and contract negotiations, and as the Director of Pharmacy for a regional health maintenance organization. She and her husband, Steve, a dentist, built and staff a free dental health clinic for the underserved population in Chichicastenago, Guatemala.
Lisa received her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Michigan with highest distinction in 1985 and is a member of U of M’s Alpha chapter of Phi Beta Kappa. She earned a Master of Public Administration degree from Central Michigan University in 2016