MRWA Executive Director, Marty Holtgren hereby announces an additional Subject Matter Expert to the Board of Directors. According to Holtgren, “This appointment was confirmed at our regularly scheduled Board of Directors meeting on Monday March 15, and is in keeping with our desire to attract a broad and inclusive range of interests, talents, and passions to our leadership team in order to best serve all the stakeholder communities throughout the watershed”.
The MRWA is pleased to welcome Melanie Manion, the Natural Resources Manager for Ottawa County Parks, where she manages over 7,000 acres of land, including numerous riparian areas. Previously, Ms. Manion worked as the Stewardship Coordinator for the Land Conservancy of West Michigan (LCWM) for 10 years as an environmental educator. At LCWM, she spearheaded the West Michigan Cluster of the Stewardship Network, which evolved to the current West Michigan Conservation Network. She is presently the Learning and Engagement lead for this regional conservation organization.
Earning both a B.S. in Biology and Environmental Science, and an M.S. in Conservation Biology at Central Michigan University, Melanie is passionate about protecting and restoring Michigan’s beautiful natural features, and lives in Muskegon County.