Bo and Melissa Freeman moved from Old Orchard to Ottawa Hills in December of 2023 noting, that while it was not a long distance, they were motivated to make the move to give their son, Coulson, age 6, the advantages of a top-notch school district, and the strong sense of community Ottawa Hills is known for. 

When they began searching for houses, it was winter, and there weren’t a lot of options, but they still found their perfect home. “Our Stableside home was designed with the architectural plans from renowned modernist architect Hugh Newell Jacobsen, whose understanding of light and how a home will be used shine through his designs.” 

Melissa and Bo Freeman grew up in the Toledo area, Melissa in Sylvania and Bo in South Toledo. Melissa graduated high school from St. Ursula Academy, while Bo went to St. John’s Jesuit High School. After high school, Melissa attended Baldwin Wallace University, earning her Bachelor of Arts in Vocal Performance with a minor in Business Management. Bo earned his Bachelor of Arts at Miami University, majoring in Literature and Creative Writing. 

Melissa and Bo did not meet until Bo, who was working for Northwestern Mutual, was helping Melissa’s parents plan for their retirement. “During a meeting in their home, sitting around the kitchen table, they introduced us. To this day, they tell us they didn’t intend to introduce us for any purpose other than that Bo was their financial planner.” It was there, in her parents’ kitchen, that Melissa invited Bo to attend the Lourdes University Luminations event, telling Bo it would be good for his business. Bo eventually proposed, and they got married in 2013.

Bo is currently the vice president of sales for MTS Seating, a local company in Temperance, MI, that manufactures seating options and table products for the hospitality industry. He has worked for them for over 10 years. Melissa, who worked for Fifth Third Bank for over 17 years, took on the position of Chief Financial Officer and Senior Vice President of Employee Relations at AntennaGear in 2023. The company deals with the production and assembly of antennas and routers.

Bo and Melissa see their son Coulson as the most special person in their lives. “Like many families today, we persevered through trials and loss to be fortunate enough to have him.” Coulson is in 1st grade at Ottawa Hills Elementary School. He loves baseball and soccer and is taking a cooking class, pickleball, and chess after school. Coulson also takes Hip-Hop and Tumbling classes at Company C Dance Club. 

In addition to Coulson, the family has a 17-year-old beagle mix. Maizy was running down Monroe St. when a family friend rescued her. “You could say Bo married Melissa and Maizy. That’s what Bo tells everyone, especially when they are both misbehaving.”

Family is very important to Melissa and Bo, and like many parents today, they persevered through many trials and losses to be fortunate enough to have him. “We are also incredibly lucky that all our parents still live in the Greater Toledo area…Melissa’s sister’s family resides in Maumee and is part of everything we do. Attending their sporting events and dance competitions is one of our favorite activities. Coulson, being an only child, certainly doesn’t feel it with Charlie, Jack and Isla being such a big part of our lives.”

The Freeman family loves to go to the Toledo Zoo, ride their bikes on the University Bike Trail, and support local restaurants like Deseo, Registry Bistro, Stubborn Brother, and more. Melissa is still very involved in the performing arts, having served on the TAPA board since 2017 and supporting St. Ursula’s musical theater program. “Melissa urges everyone to support live performances of all kinds. It is important to your communities and can lift your spirits and inspire you during difficult times.” 

In addition to all the activities that keep them busy, the family loves to travel and recently bought a cottage on Round Lake in the Irish Hills of Michigan. They have been up North in Michigan from Suttons Bay to Traverse City to Torch Lake. They also enjoy regularly visiting Miami Beach. “It is important to us to enjoy these travel experiences while Coulson is young.”