Lake Michigan Stakeholders Meeting - October 25th at the Global Water Center
Described as "Wisconsin's Voice for Lake Michigan" on its website, Lake Michigan Stakeholders is having one of its two annual membership meetings on Thursday, October 25th at the Global Water Center in Milwaukee. This group may be of interest to southeastern Wisconsin policy-makers, business owners, residents, and others who have a stake in the health of Lake Michigan.
Since 2005, Lake Michigan Stakeholders (LMS) has been inspiring and engaging stewards around the Lake Michigan basin to champion water quality and watershed viability. LMS initially began as a series of conversations to address a lack of coordination between stakeholders, lawmakers, state agencies, and other interested groups in preserving freshwater resources. During its development, LMS formed a steering committee which serves as the principle decision-making body for the organization and is comprised of individuals from a wide range of sectors and professional backgrounds. Led by the steering committee, LMS holds bi-annual membership meetings, provides education and resources on watershed health and best practices, provides stewardship recognition awards, and engages with a range of stakeholders from community groups and non-profit organizations, to policy-makers and private enterprise.
Over the years, water quality has become a prominent topic of discussion statewide. LMS has continued to bring important conversations about stewardship and resources directly to communities all across Wisconsin through their bi-annual Membership Meetings. The location and topics may change for each meeting based on regional themes but, as noted by Todd Verboomen, a member of the steering committee, the conversations are becoming increasingly industry-inclusive. Verboomen, who also serves as Associate Environmental Planner for the East Central Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission, believes that continuing to increase the types of organizations, companies, and individual stakeholders that participate in these conversations is key to ensuring that the meetings serve their intended purpose.
This fall’s meeting will be held on Thursday, October 25th at the Global Water Center in Milwaukee and will be highlighting topics including urban infrastructure issues, shoreline and beach management, and challenges around legacy phosphorous. LMS is looking forward to engaging with the many facets of Milwaukee’s water sector. According to Verboomen, “When you think of the solution of improving water quality, we’re all in this together. Doesn’t matter if you’re a big producer or a backyard garden, you’re a part of Lake Michigan and we’re all part of the solution.”
Click on the button above for more information on how to register for LMS’ fall meeting!