Melissa Gronek has been a proud Michigan City resident since 2020, after moving from her hometown of Valparaiso, where she was a part of the VHS graduating class of 2007. She attended Valparaiso University and Purdue University before obtaining her Business Associates Degree in Accounting from Ivy Tech in 2013. She has quite the extensive work history, ranging from Retail/Inventory Management at a Pet Store, to Logistics, and finally Accounting, giving her a vast array of knowledge and an extensive skillset.

Melissa has been with Peepers since 2017 and has had the opportunity to showcase and utilize her skills in multiple departments of the Company. Having such a vast work history, she was able to contribute to the successful implementation of SOPs to create efficiencies within her previous departments of Product, Logistics & QC, and Finance, before entering the world of Operations and Distribution. She has been in her current role of Senior Operations Manager since 2020 and strives to ensure all Warehouse and Operations processes are at full efficiency to meet service level agreements for all B2B and B2C customers. She does this while maintaining a fun work environment with clear growth paths to provide opportunities for her team. She strives to keep her team engaged by having monthly awards and team building activities. By using a balance of fun and innovative technology, she has helped cultivate an exceptional work environment. 

When she is not working, no matter the season, Melissa takes every opportunity to be at one of Michigan City’s greatest treasures, the beach and lake! She might be seen camped out in the sand reading a book or drawing, catching a stunning sunset with her dog Stella, or getting some exercise by exploring the coastline, whether it’s on foot or on a paddle board. She loves riding her bicycle around town exploring all the local businesses, breweries, and restaurants. She may not have been born in MC but she feels like this is her true hometown.

Michele is excited to be working in Michigan City and the historic downtown. She has fallen in love with The Barker Mansion and the great significance the Barker Family has to Michigan City. Responsible for delivering a memorable, educational and engaging visit to the mansion, Michele oversee tours, weddings, teas, programming and special events. She is excited for visitors to see all the spectacular restoration that has gone into what she calls the “gem” of the city.

After graduating from Ball State University in 1993, Mike began his career in the financial services industry. Prior to joining Harbour Trust in 2001, Mike spent eight years serving as a Personal Trust Administrator with JP Morgan Chase. There, he was responsible for both personal trust and employee benefit accounts.
Mike has successfully completed the Personal Trust School program through Cannon Financial Institute at the University of Notre Dame. He earned the designation of Certified Trust Financial Advisor in 1997 and has enthusiastically worked to maintain this designation. As well as, expand his knowledge of financial planning and investment management. In an effort to further broaden his knowledge of the trust and investment field, Mike successfully passed the CISP exam in 2012 and became a Certified IRA Services Professional through the Institute of Certified Bankers.  He is the Director of Personal Trust at Harbour and serves as head of the IRA Division.
Born and raised in Michigan City, Mike has two daughters and has served 3 terms as president of the Michigan City Rotary Club and as Rotary District 6540 Assistant District Governor. Mike is the acting board President for the Lubeznik Center for the Arts.
“The best compliment I have ever received was in 2009 during the financial crisis when a client told me, ‘I don’t worry about my financial situation because I know that you are taking care of me.’ Giving clients that peace of mind is my greatest pleasure.”

John graduated from the Professional Flight Program at Purdue University and proceeded to never fly again.  Instead, he focused his time on the world of ecommerce and operations/logistics and has greatly enjoyed his experiences in those two industries.  He joined Peepers in 2014 and collaborated with other team members to launch a new website that was designed to create an optimal customer experience.  Since then, the ecommerce team has grown exponentially and has created an enterprise-level online experience that stands out from the competition.

He and many other team members also took part in the strategy and execution of bringing Peepers’ distribution operations back to Michigan City which created 20+ new jobs in 2019.  This project included building a 23,000+ sq foot distribution center, creating a custom warehouse management system, and moving, organizing, and putting back hundreds of thousands of pairs of glasses…. among many other things. 

John lives in La Porte with his wife, two sons, and dog. He loves golf, basketball, and traveling with his family.  Go Boilers!