The Officers and Directors of the Michigan Waterfront Alliance were pleased to have hosted Mr. Ralph L. Bednarz as a special guest during our Friday, March 13, 2020 Board meeting that was held at the offices of Karoub Associates in downtown Lansing. Retiring from the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), now known as the Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE), in 2011 following a highly successful 35 year career in environmental protection and water resources management, Ralph managed the DEQ’s inland lakes water quality monitoring programs, including the Lake Water Quality Assessment monitoring program as well as the Cooperative Lakes Monitoring Program (CLMP). He was also responsible for the successful implementation of the 2007 and 2012 National Lakes Assessment in Michigan in addition to the development and implementation of the Michigan Clean Water Corps (MiCorps) volunteer water monitoring network. Tasked to coordinate the implementation of the 2012 National Lakes Assessment in Michigan, Mr. Bednarz returned to the DEQ Water Resources Division as a United States EPA Senior Environmental Employment Program specialist. His educational credentials include a Bachelor of Biological Sciences Degree from the University of Illinois, and a Master’s Degree in Limnology from Michigan State University.
Still actively involved in working to conserve Michigan’s legacy of high-quality inland lakes for future generations, Mr. Bednarz is involved with the Michigan Natural Shoreline Partnership, the Michigan Inland Lakes Partnership, and the Michigan Chapter, North American Lake Management Society. Ralph spoke with the MWA Board members about the critical importance of our unique role as a pro-active advocate and lobbying organization working on behalf of water resources and aquatic invasive species management in Michigan.