Staff Transitions

As with most things, change is to be expected. This, too, is true of the MiCorps team. Since the last issue of The MiCorps Monitor, we have undergone some staffing changes. We have said goodbye to some familiar MiCorps faces and welcomed some new faces to the team.

Dr. Jo Latimore

One such familiar face, Dr. Jo Latimore, has left the Huron River Watershed Council and her role as the MiCorps Program Manager to replace another Cooperative Lakes Management Program (CLMP) partner, Howard Wandell, who recently retired from his position with the Michigan State University (MSU) Cooperative Extension Program. In her new role with MSU's Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Jo continues to work closely with the Cooperative Extension Program and Michigan Lake and Stream Associations, Inc., to promote the stewardship of aquatic resources under the CLMP. Jo will continue to play an important role within the MiCorps team and will oversee the administration of the Lake Leaders Institute in this new capacity. Jo can now be contacted at latimor1@msu.edu.

Dr. Paul Steen

Replacing Jo as the MiCorps Program Manager is Dr. Paul Steen who joined the Huron River Watershed Council in early 2008. Paul is a recent graduate of the University of Michigan’s School of Natural Resources and Environment, where he earned his MS and PhD with a focus in landscape ecology, fish community ecology, and fish model development. Paul brings new experiences and enthusiasm to the team and will be coordinating many of the day-to-day MiCorps activities, including training and outreach programs with our volunteers and other water quality organizations around the state. Paul can be reached at psteen@hrwc.org.

The MiCorps team has also recently said goodbye to Matt Doss, MiCorps Program Administrator, at the Great Lakes Commission. Matt has transitioned into a new role as the Commission’s Policy Director and will be focusing his efforts on advocacy and legislative activities within the Great Lakes region. We will certainly miss his expertise and his thoughtful guidance and stewardship of the program’s resources over the last four years. Matt’s efforts have helped to strengthen the MiCorps program and enable it’s sustainability as the premier volunteer stream and lake monitoring program within the state of Michigan.

Laura Kaminski

Replacing Matt as the MiCorps Program Administrator is Laura Kaminski of the Great Lakes Commission. Laura is new to the MiCorps team but has been with the Commission for six years, focusing much of her efforts on nonpoint source pollution prevention and control within the Great Lakes region. Laura recently completed two master’s degrees at the University of Michigan, one in business administration at the Ross School of Business and the other in resource policy at the School of Natural Resources and Environment. Laura will continue to provide oversight and guidance to the MiCorps team and will help to carry forward the excellent work that Matt has started. Laura can be reached at laurak@glc.org.

It is with great sadness that we also announce the departure of another familiar face from the MiCorps team. Earlier this fall, Beth Johnson, one of the hardworking MiCorps program staff, announced her decision to leave the Great Lakes Commission to pursue a new career in the arts. Many of you have worked closely with Beth in recent years and understand what a great loss this has been for the MiCorps team. Laura Kaminski will be assuming many of the day-to-day tasks for which Beth has been responsible.

Laura Andrews

Assisting Laura Kaminski with some of Beth’s previous responsibilities will be yet another new team member, Laura Andrews, at the Great Lakes Commission. Laura Andrews joined the Commission in August as their new design manager and will be responsible for the development of MiCorps outreach materials such as The MiCorps Monitor and periodic e-communications and announcements about the program. Laura can be reached at landrews@glc.org.

Michigan Lake and Stream Associations, Inc., one of the primary MiCorps partner organizations who many of you may know through their administration and support of the Cooperative Lakes Monitoring Program (CLMP), has recently undergone some of their own staff transitions. First, ML&SA Executive Director, Don Winne, has retired from the organization after 31 years of service in this capacity. Don is a well-known and respected member of volunteer lake monitoring networks around the state and has played a key role in advocating for the protection of riparian property owners’ rights. His expertise and commitment to the preservation of Michigan’s inland lakes and streams will truly be missed.

Scott Brown

In response to Don’s retirement, the ML&SA Board of Directors appointed Scott Brown to the role of Executive Director. Scott was formerly a regional Vice President for five years within the ML&SA structure and had been working as the Acting Executive Director during Don’s transition into retirement. Scott is now working hard in his new role to reinvigorate ML&SA’s work both with MiCorps and with other partners in support of their mission. Scott can be reached at scottb52@hughes.net.

Earlier this year, Pearl Bonnell announced her retirement as the ML&SA Director of Operations and Treasurer after 17 years in this role, effective March 1st. Many of you know Pearl as the day-to-day “face” of the CLMP and have had the pleasure of working with her to protect the health of our inland lakes. Pearl’s dedication to her work and continued development of the program has earned her much respect within the volunteer lake monitoring community. Pearl will continue to support the Michigan Lakes and Streams Foundation as its Treasurer. We will miss her tremendous spirit and wish her all the best as she transitions into this new chapter in her life.

Jean Roth

Stepping up to fill Pearl’s shoes as the primary CLMP point of contact for ML&SA is Jean Roth. Jean has been involved in much of the behind the scenes work for the CLMP program in recent years and we are fortunate to now have her overseeing much of the daily work as the new CLMP Coordinator. We are confident that Jean will continue to provide exceptional support to the program in this critical role. Jean can be reached at jarupanorth@centurytel.net.

Please join us in welcoming Paul, Laura K., Laura A. and Scott to the MiCorps team and saying a fond farewell to Howard, Matt, Beth, Don and Pearl!

Current and previous CLMP staff, from left to right: Ralph Bednarz, Howard Wandell, Don Winne, Ric Lawson, Jo Latimore, Pearl Bonnell and Jack Wuycheck. Photo courtesy of Huron River Watershed Council.

MiCorps Monitor Gets a Facelift

In order to cut down on the paper and costs involved with doing a paper mailing of the MiCorps Monitor, we have transitioned to a fully-electronic format and delivery of the newsletter. As you have probably noticed by now, this semi-annual publication of the MiCorps program will now be arriving by email rather than in your office or home mailbox and will only be accessible via the internet. All previous issues of the MiCorps Monitor will be available in pdf format from the program website at micorps.net/newsletter.html.

While this new format definitely has a new look and feel to it, we also hope that it will be more convenient for you to quickly access the most interesting articles that appeal to you and to forward select items to your colleagues by email. In the spirit of saving paper, we also encourage you to consider the environment before printing out paper copies.

We are still working out some of the “bugs” of this transition and would love to hear your thoughts. Please contact Laura Kaminski, MiCorps Program Administrator, at laurak@glc.org or (734) 971-9135 with your comments or concerns.