About us
our story
Ronon's Place was born out of heartache and hope. Ronon MaulBane committed suicide on August 4th, 2018. Though his life was short, it was full. He was a son, brother, friend, and he was a faithful supporter of the underdog. This organization was started in his honor, and to continue his legacy of rooting for people.
On May 7th, Ronon suffered a traumatic brain injury in a vehicle accident. Though he recovered physically from the accident, there were lasting effects on his mental health. As those different effects surface, Ronon was unable to receive care because he was uninsured. While the vehicle accident itself didn't take Ronon, the effects of his traumatic brain injury ultimately did.
So, Ronon's Place was born. Every member of Ronon's Place has felt the effects of suicide or mental illness directly. We are a group of people committed to providing services to those in life's darkest places.
Meet the Board
The Board of Directors is made up of individuals who have a passion for care and community outreach. Each member has felt the personal impact of loving someone struggling with mental health.
Randy Welch
Chief Executive Officer
Master Chief Welch has a long military career where he served his country with passion and
expertise. His career is marked by leadership skills and commendations for excellent service. He is now retired from the United States Navy and is serving as a Partner-Owner of Willow Creek Petoskey, a development community.
Becky Fettig
Executive Director
Becky is an educator with 27 years experience. She has a long history of serving her community in various ways, with Ronon’s Place being the newest iteration of that passion. Ronon’s Place is a heart project for the Fettigs, for it was formed in memory of their son Ronon. Ronon suffered a traumatic brain injury and lost his life to suicide in 2018. It is from this place that the Fettigs are committing themselves to serving Indian River and the surrounding communities.
Jayne Mathews
Jayne Matthews is no stranger to Northern Michigan. While living in Ada, MI currently, she grew up visiting the Petoskey area. She is married to Al and has 3 children and 10 grandchildren. She currently spends her time as a substitute teacher. Jayne is a cousin of Mike Fettig and was led by Ronon's experience to join our board. She spent 10 years on the board of Alpha Family Center in Lowell, and now brings her experience and passion to Ronon's Place.
Mike Fettig
Mike is an electrical engineer who has worked at Honeywell for the past 37 years. Like his wife Becky, he has a passion for serving his community and honoring the memory of Ronon.
Jordan Merrill-Winters
Treasurer
Jordan Merrill-Winters is an attorney, wife, and mother. She moved to northern MI in 2023 following the death of her husband to be near family. In 2025 she remarried. Jordan’s loss and grief journey led her to start volunteering at Ronon’s Place in 2024 leading their GriefShare program. Helping others experience faith, comfort, and hope through their grief journey is a passion of hers. This led her to joining the board in 2025.
Sarah Cumberland
Sarah Cumberland is a Limited Licensed Professional Counselor in the state of Michigan. She graduated with her Masters in Counseling from Dallas Theological Seminary in 2020. During her time in school she served in a non-profit organization for second chance students, and now she is providing counseling services at Petoskey Professional Counselors,
LLC.