2012 Michigan Land and Prosperity Summit

speakers

Bennett, Julie Metty
Bulkowski, Dave
Collier, Robert S.
Creagh, Keith.
Creamer, Catherine
DeGeorgio-Venegas, Ramona
Delind, Laura
Egner, David
Goulet, Jennifer
Fails, Barb
Heidel, Gary
Hollins III, Harvey
Ivan, David
Kalish, Todd
Klohs, Birgit
Kuntzsch, Rachel
Lofgren, Andy
Orr, Jeremy
Pastor, Manuel
Patrick, Diane
Phillips, Tremaine
Pigg, Sue
Rivard, Heather
Smigelski, Liz
Stachewicz, Jr., Dennis M.
Steudle, Kirk
van Ravensway, James
Venegas, Ramona
Weinfeld, Arnold
West, Dennis
Witter, Scott

Julie Metty Bennett (presentation)

Julie Metty Bennett is a Vice President at Public Sector Consultants. She manages the firm’s environment and energy practice area, provides strategic counsel and facilitation services, conducts research and analysis, and manages projects for the firm and its clients on a wide range of subjects, including energy, water quality, land use, community and economic development, and natural resource management. Bennett serves as Finance Manager for Michigan Saves, a multi-million-dollar nonprofit organization managed by PSC that provides financing solutions for energy efficiency and renewable energy improvements. In this capacity, she designs financing programs and oversees organizational governance issues, accounting and auditing. Bennett also serves as manager of the Great Lakes Fishery Trust, a multimillion-dollar private foundation managed by PSC. In this capacity, she manages staff, budgets and project tasks; provides strategic direction; and manages grants made to a variety of nonprofit and governmental entities. Prior to joining PSC in 2000, Bennett worked for the Michigan United Conservation Clubs as an Environmental Policy Specialist, representing the organization before local, state, and federal policy makers on energy, air quality and waste management issues. She also managed a variety of issue-specific public education campaigns and coordinated grassroots activities related to the 1996 voter initiative, Proposal G. She then joined the National Wildlife Federation, successfully and strategically managing energy policy advocacy campaigns to educate and mobilize individuals, organizations, and federal, state and local policy makers in furtherance of Great Lakes protection issues.

Dave Bulkowski (presentation)

David Bulkowski is the Executive Director of Disability Advocates of Kent County. Mr. Bulkowski, a licensed attorney, provides consultation on disability-related laws and regulations for private and public entities. He has worked extensively with state and federal laws teaching others how these laws affect the rights and responsibilities of building professionals, landlords, property managers and tenants with disabilities. These laws include the Michigan Barrier Free Design law, Michigan Persons with Disabilities Civil Rights Act, the Fair Housing Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act. Finally, Mr. Bulkowski has spent a great deal of time organizing and advocating for increased public transportation in the Grand Rapids Metropolitan Area. He is a facilitator of Faith In Motion and served as the co-chair for Friends of Transit which successfully passed local millages to expand transit services in April 2000, November 2003, May 2007 and May 2011. In addition, he has provided community organizing training throughout the state of Michigan.

Robert Collier

Rob Collier Robert S. Collier serves as President and CEO of the Council of Michigan Foundations, a 40-year-old nonprofit association of more than 400 independent, family, community and corporate foundations, and corporate giving programs working together to increase, enhance, and improve philanthropy in Michigan. Collier serves on numerous boards, commissions, and taskforces, including the Michigan Nonprofit Association, the Michigan Community Service Commission, the Michigan Association of United Ways, the Michigan Municipal League Foundation and the International Network for Strategic Philanthropy. His career in philanthropy includes service as a Program Officer with the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, Grants Director for the Gannett Foundation, Executive Director of Rotary Charities of Traverse City, and Founding Director of the Grand Traverse Regional Community Foundation.

Keith Creagh (presentation)

Keith Creagh is the Director of the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and was appointed by Governor Rick Snyder on January 1, 2011. Prior to this position, Creagh was the Director of Industry Affairs and Hacco Operations for the Neogen Corporation, a company that develops and provides food and animal safety solutions to the agri-food industry. In that capacity he was responsible for establishing and maintaining relationships with the scientific community and regulatory agencies at the state and federal level, international product registrations, and manufacturing operations at Neogen's Wisconsin chemical manufacturing plant. Prior to joining Neogen in August of 2007, Creagh held various positions within the Michigan Department of Agriculture (MDA), including Chief Deputy Director where he had responsibility for MDA's regulatory food safety and animal health programs, budget, laboratory and administrative programs. During his 33 year tenure at MDA, Creagh was also the Division Director for the Pesticide and Plant Pest Management Division where he was integral in numerous agricultural, food safety and environmental legislative efforts.

Catherine Creamer (presentation)

Catherine Creamer is a proven leader in business development and organizational management. As Executive Director for ArtPrize, she oversees the alignment of the organization’s creative and business elements, including operation, administration and finance. Creamer's background includes leadership positions with Herman Miller, Interface, the New North Center for Design and Business and Kendall College of Art and Design. Originally trained as a textile artist, she began her teaching work at Parsons School of Design in New York, while exhibiting her work nationally. Creamer has served on the Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park executive committee for the last eight years, and is the President of the West Michigan Environmental Action Council, since fall 2010. She has a BFA from Rochester Institute of Technology's School for American Craftsman, with additional executive education from the University of Michigan, Wells College and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Creamer is excited to work at the intersection of arts/technology/community, and sees ArtPrize as the perfect forum to foster such dialogue.

Ramona DeGeorgio-Venegas

Ramona DeGeorgio-Venegas is an Outdoor Recreation Planner in Manistee, on the Huron-Manistee national Forest. Sometimes her tasks are with other agencies and partners on projects, such as the “Explore the Shores” project that is improving universal accessibility to public water accesses. She has been with the USDA Forest Service for more than 31 years, primarily in recreation, in: Montana, California, Idaho, Wisconsin and Michigan. Some of DeGeorgio-Venegas’ assignments have included wildfire and hurricane emergency duties as a radio operator, security and public information officer; as well as two assistance trips to Guatemala. The University of Montana is her alma mater— Resource Conservation degree. She was a Peace Corps volunteer in Southern Chile—Environmental Education with their Ministry of Education. DeGeorgio-Venegas enjoys being outside, hiking, rock collecting, jewelry making, reading, disc golf and traveling.

Laura Delind (presentation)

Laura Delind Laura B. Delind earned her PhD in Anthropology from Michigan State University. She has studied, taught and written about the contemporary agrifood system, critiquing its socio-cultural, economic and environmental costs, especially as they are felt at the local level. Delind is an advocate of more place-based and democratized systems of food production, distribution and consumption and combines her academic interests with local activism. She was a founding board member of the Michigan Organic Food and Farm Alliance and in 1996 she established Growing in Place Community Farm in Mason, MI. Currently, she is working closely with the Allen Neighborhood Center in Lansing to address the food needs of eastside residents through a neighborhood farmers market, urban gardens, and direct farmer-merchant-resident coalitions. Delind is a member of MSU’s University Committee for a Sustainable Campus and the newly created University Food Systems Committee, which is dedicated to better understanding the campus food system and how our eating habits and food procurement decisions impact the world around us (for example, urban sprawl, biodiversity, waste management, global warming, food equity). From 2004 to 2006, Delind was the editor of the international multidisciplinary journal Agriculture and Human Values.

David Egner

David Egner has led the Hudson-Webber Foundation as its President and CEO since 1997. Established in 1943, the Foundation has assets of more than $160 million and concentrates its efforts and resources on its mission of improving the quality of life in metropolitan Detroit. In addition to his work with the Foundation, Egner also serves as Executive Director of the New Economy Initiative (NEI), a $100 million philanthropic partnership dedicated to accelerate the transition of Southeast Michigan to a more innovation-based economy. Egner has more than 20 years experience working with nonprofits and foundations, from his early years as an Executive Assistant to the chairman at the W.K. Kellogg Foundation in Battle Creek to guiding the Michigan Nonprofit Association, a Lansing-based coalition, through its development and mergers.

Barb Fails, Ph.D. (presentation)

Dr. Barb Fails is an Associate Director of Entrepreneurial Communities at the MSU Land Policy Institute. Her role at LPI is to develop and direct outreach programs for communities to create entrepreneurial support systems. As campus co-chair for the MSUE Economic Development Team, Dr, Fails helps lead several community-based programs; Energizing Entrepreneurs (e2) Institute, Business Resource Centers, Youth Entrepreneurship and Arts & Culture Entrepreneurship. She chairs EnGen, the mid-Michigan entrepreneurship education consortium, advises the MSU Entrepreneurship Association and teaches Rural Entrepreneurship at MSU. Dr. Fails taught retail horticulture, started Sparty's Flowers, directed University Outreach Instruction, developed programs for entrepreneurs at the Product Center for Agriculture and Natural Resources at MSU, and started her own business, Florabundance. She has taught at Oklahoma State University, and has degrees from Cornell University and Virginia Tech.

Jennifer Goulet (presentation)

Jennifer Goulet Jennifer H. Goulet is President and CEO of ArtServe Michigan, leading advocacy, capacity building and strategic communications efforts supporting Michigan’s arts, culture, arts education and the creative industries. Goulet’s nearly 30 years of cultural leadership and economic development experience includes 12 years as the City of Ypsilanti's Downtown Development Authority Director and Community and Economic Development Director—leading economic development, brownfield redevelopment and downtown revitalization initiatives—and Executive Director of the Chelsea Center for the Arts. Goulet earned her master's degree in City and Regional Planning from The Ohio State University and holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography from Valparaiso University. She serves on the Advisory Councils for the Michigan Cultural Data Project, Kresge Arts in Detroit and Michigan Sense of Place Council, and the Board of Directors for the Michigan Nonprofit Association, Riverside Arts Center Foundation in Ypsilanti and the Michigan Main Street Advisory Committee.

Gary Heidel

Gary Heidel was appointed Executive Director of the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA) in October, 2010, and has been employed there since 1986. Prior to this appointment, Heidel served in various positions including Director of Program Policy & Market Research and Director of Legislative and Intergovernmental Relations. In these positions he oversaw staff responsible for government relations, communications, public relations, Web site, strategic planning, program development and evaluation, and market research. Prior to this, he served as a legislative liaison for the Michigan Department of Commerce, a legislative assistant to Michigan State Senator John Kelly (D-Detroit), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Corporations and Economic Development, and as a staff assistant to U.S. Senator Donald Riegle (D-MI). During the last 25 years, Heidel has played a significant role in passing and implementing various important policies at the State and federal levels of government, including the Neighborhood Preservation Program, the federal HOME program, federal Empowerment Zone program, Individual Development Accounts, Michigan Mortgage Credit Certificate Program, Cool Cities, Michigan Magnet Fund, Vision 2020, Centers of Regional Excellence, and the Michigan Housing and Community Development Fund. He has received several awards, including the advocacy award from the Michigan Coalition Against Homeless, the Bernice Bensen Service Award from Habitat for Humanity Michigan, the CED Advocate of the Year Award from the Community Economic Development Association of Michigan, the Special Award of Merit from the Michigan Municipal League, and the Nonprofit Champion Award from the Michigan Nonprofit Association. Heidel graduated from the University of Michigan in 1976. He has also graduated from various executive leadership programs, including the Michigan Political Leadership Program at MSU, Governors Center at Duke University and the JFK School of Government at Harvard University.

Harvey Hollins III (presentation)

Harvey Hollins III is the Director of the Michigan Office of Urban and Metropolitan Initiatives, a new state office responsible for finding ways to revitalize the economies of Michigan’s major cities. Hollins is a 1983 graduate of Otsego High School and a 1987 graduate of Kalamazoo College. His leadership potential was identified early. Hollins received the Catherine A. Smith Award for Human Rights at K-College. He has a master’s degree in public policy from the University of Michigan’s Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy, where he was chosen to be the student speaker for his graduating class. After working for more than eight years as the Michigan Government Affairs Representative for the American Association of Retired Persons, Hollins was named Vice President for Government and Community Affairs at Wayne State University in January 2004. In that role, he was the university’s chief lobbyist on legislative and political affairs, interacting with federal, state and local officials until August 2011 when Gov. Snyder chose him to lead the Michigan Office of Urban and Metropolitan Initiatives.

David Ivan (presentation)

Dave Ivan Dave Ivan is a State Specialist at Community & Economic Development Programs at MSU Extension. As a State Specialist, Ivan conducts community and economic development programs statewide for Michigan State University Extension. A frequent guest lecturer on community success strategies with state municipal leagues and other regional and national community conferences, Ivan has conducted previous research on community sustainability, including a 2004 study entitled “Can Small Towns Be Cool?” and a 2002 USDA Rural Development study entitled “Small Town Success Strategies.” Ivan served as the Statewide Coordinator for a Michigan initiative designed to create a community environment that supports entrepreneurship and business enterprise development that has received national recognition. His current research examines best practice community approaches in the New Economy. This two-year study examined approaches from more than 80 smaller and mid-sized communities nationwide that are experiencing success in a global economic paradigm. This research project was recently recognized by the Community Development Society as its National Research Project award winner. Ivan received a B.S. degree from Michigan State, an MBA from Penn State, and is a current PhD candidate at Michigan State with a focus on community sustainability.

Todd Kalish

Fisheries Biologist, Michigan Department of Natural Resources

Birgit Klohs

Birgit Klohs is President and CEO of The Right Place, Inc., a position she has held since 1987. The Right Place, Inc. is the regional economic development organization for the retention, expansion and attraction of businesses to the West Michigan Area. Klohs, a native of Germany, came to The Right Place, Inc. from Grand Valley State University (GVSU), where she served as Assistant Director of the Office for Economic Expansion. Prior to her association with GVSU, she was affiliated with Prince Corporation in Holland, Michigan. Klohs' economic development career began in 1977 as an Industrial Consultant with the Economic Development Corporation of Berrien County, Michigan. Following her experience in Berrien County, she joined the Michigan Department of Commerce as an Account Executive for the West Michigan region. She is a graduate of Western Michigan University, where she earned her B.A. degree in Corporate Finance. She is a graduate of the Economic Development Institute of the University of Oklahoma; and completed the professional economic development finance program through the National Development Council. She also attended Harvard University’s program on negotiation.

Rachel Kuntzsch (presentation)

Rachel Kuntzsch is the President of Kuntzsch Business Services (KBS) and Executive Director at Heart of the Lakes Center for Land Conservation Policy. She launched KBS in 2004 and has grown the firm in size, talent, and breadth. As President, Kuntzsch leads the firm’s strategic direction, which is focused on driving sustainable community and economic development in Michigan. Through KBS, she is able to bridge her professional experiences in economic development, alternative energy, and natural resource conservation with her personal commitment to making Michigan a better place for all of us. Through her leadership, KBS has helped to drive more than $40 million in public and private funding toward initiatives that positively contribute to Michigan’s economy. Having worked in the private, public, and nonprofit sectors, with experience in business development, public policy development, grant writing, strategic planning, and more, Kuntzsch brings a unique perspective to her clients’ work. Prior to launching KBS, she was the Director of Business Development at NextEnergy, a nonprofit alternative energy accelerator based in Detroit, which she played a critical role in starting up. This position emerged out of Kuntzsch’s experience as a Business Development Manager at the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, where she worked to attract out-of-state businesses to Michigan. She also held various roles in sales and marketing at Moore Data Management Services/VISTA Information Solutions, an information technology company. Kuntzsch is a board member of the Michigan Nonprofit Association. She also serves as the Executive Director of Heart of the Lakes Center for Land Conservation Policy, one of KBS’s most significant nonprofit clients. She was appointed by Governor Granholm to serve on the state’s Agriculture Preservation Fund board and by Governor Snyder to serve on the Blue Ribbon Panel for State Parks and Outdoor Recreation. Kuntzsch is a Micigan State University graduate who lives and works in Grand Ledge with her family, where she also serves on the city’s Parks and Recreation Commission.

Andy Lofgren (presentation)

Andy Lofgren is the Executive Director of the Newaygo County Economic Development Office, which is a private, nonprofit organization established to provide business attraction and business retention services to Newaygo County.

Jeremy Orr (presentation)

Born and raised in Detroit, MI, Jeremy Orr earned an athletic scholarship to attend school at Michigan State University. In route to completing his Bachelor’s Degree in Family Community Services and Master’s Degree in Criminal Justice, both at MSU, Orr began a career in community action and advocacy. He has worked as a Community Organizer, on social justice and policy issues, in numerous cities and regions throughout Michigan, including Detroit, Lansing, Ann Arbor and Jackson. Currently, Orr is a Community Organizer for Interfaith Strategy for Advocacy & Action in the Community (ISAAC)—a Gamaliel Foundation Affiliate located in Kalamazoo, MI.

Manuel Pastor (presentation)

Dr. Manuel Pastor is Professor of Geography and American Studies and Ethnicity at the University of Southern California (USC) and Director of USC's Program for Environmental and Regional Equity (PERE). Dr. Pastor holds an economics Ph.D. from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and has received fellowships from the Danforth, Guggenheim and Kellogg foundations, and grants from the Irvine Foundation, the Rockefeller Foundation, and many others. His research has generally focused on issues of environmental justice, regional inclusion and the economic and social conditions facing low-income urban communities. His most recent books, both co-authored, include “Just Growth: Inclusion and Prosperity in America's Metropolitan Regions” and “Uncommon Common Ground: Race and America's Future.” Dr. Pastor speaks frequently on issues of demographic change, economic inequality and community empowerment, and he is the recipient of the 2012 Wally Marks Changemaker Award from the Liberty Hill Foundation in Los Angeles.

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Diane Patrick (presentation)

Diane Patrick represents an entrepreneurial in a resort community in the Eastern Upper Peninsula, the Les Cheneaux Islands. She presently owns a boat brokerage business, Land N Sea Marine Sales and is a licensed real estate agent with Coldwell Banker, where she specializes in selling waterfront homes, matching those clients with boat sales. Patrick is a Mackinac County Commissioner, trying to fulfill her mission to bring economic development to the county. Patrick has an undergraduate degree from Bowling Green University in Education and a Master’s degree in Guidance and Counseling from Kent State University, and is proud to have earned a U.S. Coast Guard 50-ton license in 1994, while living in the Washington, DC area. Patrick is Champion of the LPI Creating Entrepreneurial Communities Team, called CEDARS, representing St. Ignace and the Les Cheneaux. She has been actively involved in her community serving as President of the Les Cheneaux Chamber of Commerce, Chairperson of the Les Cheneaux Community Foundation and Vice President of the Les Cheneaux Islands Association. Her passion is cruising with her husband Mike, and being involved with their five children and nine grandchildren.

Tremaine Phillips (presentation)

Tremaine Phillips is currently the Chief Program Officer for the Prima Civitas Foundation. In this role, Phillips manages PCF’s vast project portfolio while also acting as the project lead for the organization's ongoing global attraction, investment and export initiatives. A graduate of Michigan State University, Phillips earned a degree in Environmental Economics and Policy, and specializations in both GIS and Environmental Studies. Upon graduation, Phillips was honored with the distinguished Richard Lee Featherstone Award for his leadership and intellectual curiosity outside of the traditional university curriculum. Prior to his employment at Prima Civitas, Phillips worked as the Energy Program Associate for the Michigan Environmental Council and as the Assistant Deputy Director for the Michigan Dept. of Energy Labor & Economic Growth. In 2010, he was one of 10 mid-Michigan young professionals to receive the Lansing Regional Chamber's 10 Over the Next 10 award. Additionally, Phillips is a past fellow of MSU's Climate Change Leadership and the Michigan Environmental and Natural Resource Governance programs

Susan Pigg (presentation)

Sue Pigg Susan Pigg is an Executive Director at the Tri-County Regional Planning Commission. She has experience working with communities and citizen groups to make decisions and take actions for their community. Pigg has worked with a variety of businesses, small and large, to help them maintain and increase their operations with local, state and federal incentive and assistance programs. She is experienced in adult education techniques, strategic planning, and administration of projects and grants with municipalities and citizen volunteers.

Heather Rivard (presentation)

Heather Rivard has been the Main Street Manager and Downtown Development Authority (DDA) Director for the City of Owosso since January 2011. She works with the City, local business owners and an epic force of volunteers to promote and revitalize the downtown commercial district in Owosso. In October 2011, Rivard worked with CommonPlace USA to organize the Owosso-Corunna CommonPlace, a place-based social networking site designed to build social capitol within the community. In June 2011, she decided to live and work in her hometown of Owosso. She graduated from Yale in May 2011, where she studied art and computer science, finding that both appealed to her desire to make things, MI. Rivard is committed to building a world worthy of its people—a world where people live amazing lives full of creation and community.

Liz Smigelski (presentation)

Liz Smigelski is the Gallery Coordinator for Art in the Loft, a nonprofit Art gallery and Arts center in downtown Alpena. Smigelski began volunteering for her current position in 2009, after meeting a board member during a grant writing seminar. She handles all aspects of the gallery and has been instrumental in engaging community involvement. Smigelski holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Central Michigan University. She is a founding member of the Women’s Giving Circle at the Community Foundation for Northeast Michigan, a volunteer for Alpena Community College Foundation office, committee member for the Trooper Ryan Seguin Memorial golf outing, committee member on the downtown Alpena events committee and skates on a local women’s hockey team.

Dennis M. Stachewicz Jr. (presentation)

Dennis Sachewicz Jr. Dennis Stachewicz, Jr is the Director of Planning and Community Development for the City of Marquette, the Upper Peninsula's largest community located on the south shore of Lake Superior, and the region's center for education, healthcare and recreation. As Director, Stachewicz is responsible for the Land Use Planning, Economic Development, Assessing, Zoning and Engineering Divisions of the City. He has led the City of Marquette through many progressive planning exercises, including form-based coding efforts that have led to State and National recognition for the City. Stachewicz holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point. He has been a resident of the U.P. for 11 years, eight of those years with the City of Marquette and three years serving as Director of Planning and Community Development for the Charter Township of Chocolay.

Kirk Steudle (presentation)

Kirk Steudle Kirk T. Steudle is the Michigan Department of Transportation’s (MDOT) Chief Deputy Director. As Chief Deputy Director, he is engaged in all aspects of transportation in the State of Michigan. Steudle oversees MDOT’s more than $3 billion budget and is responsible for the construction, maintenance and operation of nearly 10,000 miles of state highways and more than 4000 state highway bridges. He also is the 2011-12 President of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), and serves on the AASHTO Executive Committee. Steudle also is a national leader in the development of Connected Vehicle Technologies, working with a partnership of governments and auto manufacturers to further high-tech highway operations and at the same time, improve Michigan’s economy. In the past, Steudle has served as MDOT’s Chief Deputy Director, Bay Region Engineer and Deputy Region Engineer for the Metro Detroit Region. He is a graduate of Adrian High School and Lawrence Technological University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Construction Engineering. Steudle also served on the Essexville City Council from 1995 to 1999. Steudle and his wife, Marilyn, have two children and live in South Lyon.

James van Ravensway (presentation)

James van Ravensway is an Instructor in the School of Planning, Design and Construction at Michigan State University. Formerly, he was the Director of Planning and Community Development for the City of East Lansing.

Ramona Venegas

Outdoor Recreation Planner, U.S. Forest Service

Arnold Weinfeld (presentation)

Arnold Weinfield is a Director of Strategic Initiatives and Federal Affairs at Michigan Municipal League and the President of the Michigan Municipal League Foundation. As Director of Strategic Initiatives and Federal Affairs for the League, Weinfeld is responsible for the planning and development of new programs, services, publications, and outreach strategies to support the League’s broad policy initiatives and related programming as it pertains to the League’s “Center for 21st Century Communities,” or “21c3.” He also coordinates the League’s federal advocacy efforts, working directly with Michigan’s Congressional delegation and national local government organizations such as the National League of Cities. As President of the Michigan Municipal League Foundation, he works to carry out the Foundation mission of educating local officials in coordination with League programs.

Dennis West

Tom Woiwode Dennis West has spent more than 25 years in the Community Economic Development Movement, having worked on a broad range of community-based civic and professional activities. Since 1997, West has served as President of Northern Initiatives, a private not for profit community development financial institution based in Marquette. He serves on the Boards of the Michigan Magnet Fund, UP Business Capital LLC, the Michigan Food Policy Council, the Lake Superior Community Partnership, the Vestry of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation Advisiory Board. West is a member of the Marquette Ambassadors. He was a founding member of the Central Lake Superior Land Conservancy Board, the Upper Peninsula Economic Development Alliance (UPEDA) and the Community Economic Development Association of Michigan (CEDAM).

Scott Witter

Tom Woiwode Dr. Scott Witter has more than 25 years of experience conducting research, outreach, consulting and teaching activities related to international and domestic watershed and natural resource management issues, policies and projects. Dr. Witter has 20 years of college and unit-level administrative experience with MSU’s Institute of International Agriculture, as Chairperson of the Department of Department of Resource Development; as Chairperson of Community, Agriculture, Recreation and Resource Studies; Director of School of Planning, Design and Construction; and Interim Director of the Land Policy at MSU. Dr. Witter’s research has focused on watershed and natural resourcemanagement in the rural urban interface. He has been principal investigator and co-investigator on $3.4 million in funded projects funded externally and internally at MSU. Under his leadership the units he has served have increased their endowments by over $8 million.