New leadership at the market

Wednesday, Dec. 1 — Joe Lesausky, the new manager for the Lansing City Market, comes from a healthy background of farming and public administration.

The 28-year-old Hart native grew up on his grandparents’ farm and he comes armed with degrees in small business management and public and nonprofit administration.

“Farm life was part of what I knew,” Lesausky said. “I was around it enough and it just really worked for me.”

Today is Lesausky’s second day on the job. At this point, he’s still “trying to get a grasp on the organization and paperwork parts,” he said when asked about the City Market’s bumpy road to reopening and some vendors’ concerns about operating hours.

“My goal is to make this a really thriving, energetic place,” he said.

He replaces former market manager John Hooper, who was instrumental in the growth of the market over the past three years.

Lesausky said every farmers’ market has its own atmosphere, but Lansing’s is unique because it’s indoors.

“That really changes the dynamics. I’m excited to see how that goes,” he said.

Lesausky hasn’t spent time in Lansing before and is still in the process of looking for a home for himself.

He revamped the Ludington farmers’ market two years ago and spent two seasons at a new outdoor facility he helped secure in May 2009. One of the Ludington vendors encouraged Lesausky to apply for the job in Lansing.

“I’m just blessed to be able to move here to Lansing,” he said.