Officers & Directors

Meet the Team Behind the Lake

The Hand Hay Lake Association is led by a group of lake-loving residents who care deeply about preserving and protecting this special place. Get to know the people working behind the scenes to keep our community strong, connected, and thriving.

Mike Abalos – President

I first came to Hand Lake in 2016, not long after meeting my now-wife, Laura. We met in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, but her parents had just bought a cabin in the North Bay, and pretty soon, Minnesota summers became a part of our rhythm. From the start, I fell in love with this place: the quiet mornings, the fishing, the community. It just felt like home.

This lake has been part of some of the biggest moments in our lives. I proposed to Laura here, and we got married right on the dock at her family’s cabin in 2018. In 2023, we went in on Duane Larson’s estate with Laura’s parents and made the decision to live here full-time.

Laura and I work remotely as full-time travel bloggers, which gives us the freedom to explore the world often. But no matter where we go, Hand Lake is always the place we look forward to most.

Outside of that, I’m a professional musician and love collaborating on creative projects with friends. In 2024, Laura and I welcomed our daughter, Ellie, and we’re so grateful she’ll get to grow up surrounded by everything that makes this lake so special.

I’m honored to serve as president and excited to give back to a community that has given us so much.

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Danita Traut – Vice President

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Gary Gabe – Treasurer

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