College of Agriculture & Natural Resources Department of Fisheries and Wildlife

Program Manager, Michigan DNR

Biography: I have worked as a fisheries biologist for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources for over 30 years and prior to that worked as a research biologist for Michigan State University for 4 years.  Currently, I am a Program Manager for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources - Fisheries Division, responsible for all operational aspects of the Fisheries Research Section.  My other staff duties include fish health program oversight, assisting with habitat management issues, and handling emergency response issues for Fisheries Division.  In addition to my state duties, I have been involved with the National Fish Habitat Partnership for the last 13 years, initially one of the Core Team that wrote the Plan and for the last 11 years, as the Co-Chair of the Board’s Science and Data Committee directly responsible for the National Fish Habitat Assessment. I am a life member of the American Fisheries Society and have served in numerous leadership roles for AFS, am heavily involved in multiple Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (AFWA) committees on national fisheries issues, and was the second President of the Instream Flow Council.  I have authored or coauthored 36 peer-reviewed publications with 5 in progress or review at this time.  While my educational training is as a stream ecologist, I have been blessed with a wonderfully diverse career that has ranged from studying 5 micron fish parasites and many other fish pathogens to understanding stream and watershed functioning to analyzing hydropower impacts statewide to examining fish habitat on a national scale to managing complex fisheries research and fish production systems for the State of Michigan.