About us

A dependable partner for Minnesota lake associations.

Lake Association Office exists to take the back-office weight off volunteer boards — so the people who care for a lake can spend more time on the lake itself.

Built around your mission, not ours.

Lake associations are run by neighbors who give their time freely to protect something they love. That work is meaningful — and it comes with a steady stream of communications, membership records and paperwork that can crowd out the lake itself.

We help carry that load. Using a clear, organized process, we handle the administrative work so your board can stay focused on stewardship, membership and the water.

Looking forward from a wooden canoe across a calm Minnesota lake with fall colors on the shore.
Portrait of Eric Barrett, founder of Lake Association Office.
Eric Barrett’s family gathered outside a yellow house, with his dad on the right.
My dad and our family at the house on Gull.

Meet the founder

Eric Barrett, Founder

My late mom and dad spent nearly 30 years on Brainerd-area lakes: 15 on Lake Edna, then more than a decade on Gull, in a house where Thor Lake filled the front yard and Gull Lake the back. My dad always looked forward to the lake association meetings. He loved being part of a group of neighbors looking out for the water together.

Through him I saw how much those associations depend on a few dedicated volunteers, and how much of their time goes to newsletters, dues, activities, minutes and paperwork instead of the lake.

I started Lake Association Office to carry that load, so the people who care most about a lake can spend their time on it. I’m now based in Sartell, with family roots on Gull Lake, and I serve volunteer lake association boards across Minnesota. I spent 23 years in the medical device and pharmaceutical industries, where accuracy and documentation aren’t optional, and five years building an import/export startup in Shenzhen, China, so I know what it takes to keep a small organization running.

Every piece of work goes to your board for approval before it goes out. You’ll have accountable human oversight and a clear contact for your association’s work. Requests go through our service inbox so nothing depends on one personal email thread.

Talk with us

What we stand for

Dependable

We treat your association’s records and deadlines with care, so your board always knows where each task stands.

Volunteer-first

Everything we do is shaped around the time and realities of volunteer board members.

Organized

We organize the work efficiently, while keeping your decisions at the center. Every draft is reviewed by a person before your board approves it.