GLIN==> Great Lakes Commission announces staff leadership change

["GLIN Webmaster" <adminpst@great-lakes.net>]

Great Lakes Commission announces staff leadership change

Mike Donahue concludes two decades of service; Tom Crane appointed interim 
director

http://www.glc.org/announce/05/03mjd.html

Ann Arbor, Mich. - Dr. Michael J. Donahue, long-standing president/CEO of 
the Great Lakes Commission, is stepping down from that post to accept a 
senior executive position in the private sector. Donahue, the 
longest-serving staff director in Commission history, has moved on to become 
vice president of URS Corporation, a global consulting firm.

"I can think of no other individual who has had such a profound influence on 
Great Lakes governance over the past two decades," said Commission Chair Tom 
Huntley. "As a visionary for the Great Lakes region, Mike has consistently 
demonstrated a talent for turning ideas into action, and plans into reality. 
His presence will be missed but his legacy will be a lasting one."

Tom Crane, manager of the Commission's Resource Management Program, has been 
appointed interim director by the Commission's Board of Directors.

During his tenure with the Commission, Donahue presided over a period in 
which the Commission grew dramatically in size and capabilities, and assumed 
a central role in policy research, development and regional coordination; 
advocacy; and resource management. He is credited with greatly expanding the 
Commission's research, policy analysis and technical capabilities; securing 
associate membership for the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Québec in 
recognition of the lakes' binational character; and shaping a strong and 
influential regional voice on federal legislative, appropriations and policy 
initiatives.

Complementing Donahue's service to the Commission have been appointments to 
more than a dozen regional, national and international boards, including the 
International Joint Commission's Science Advisory Board and the Chief of 
Engineer's (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers) Environmental Advisory Board. A 
published author specializing in water resources planning, management and 
institutional design, Donahue has also been engaged in teaching and research 
through adjunct professorships at the University of Michigan and Michigan 
State University.

"It has been a great privilege to serve this organization for the last two 
decades and contribute to its growth, development and maturation." Donahue 
said. "The Commission's role is truly unique: to recognize the complementary 
nature of environmental and economic goals, and to work toward measurable 
improvements in the quality of our environment, the health of our economy, 
and the quality of life of our citizens."

Interim Director Tom Crane is a 19-year veteran of the Commission. Among 
many other contributions, Crane has led the Commission's decision support 
initiatives for water resources management, and has designed and implemented 
programs addressing point and nonpoint source pollution. He will assume the 
interim director position effective March 1 and will continue in that 
position as the search process proceeds.

"Tom is an outstanding choice for interim director," said Huntley. "He has a 
thorough knowledge of this organization, the issues and the Great Lakes 
community. He has had a major role in the Commission's success over the 
years, and has served the organization with distinction."

Donahue first joined the organization in 1982, leaving two years later to 
become U.S. director and head of research at the Chicago-based Center for 
the Great Lakes. He returned to the Commission in 1987 to take the post of 
executive director, and was promoted to president/CEO in 2001.

Donahue noted that he will continue to serve the Great Lakes region in his 
new capacity. As Vice President of URS Corporation, a global leader in 
planning, design, engineering and architectural services, he will have 
regional, national and international responsibilities with an emphasis on 
water resources and other environmental services. URS has 300 offices in 20 
countries, and a strong and growing presence in the Great Lakes region. He 
can be contacted at michael_donahue@urscorp.com.



---

The Great Lakes Commission, chaired by Thomas Huntley (Minn.), is a 
nonpartisan, binational compact agency established under state and U.S. 
federal law and dedicated to promoting a strong economy, healthy environment 
and high quality of life for the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence region and its 
residents. The Commission consists of state legislators, agency officials, 
and governors' appointees from its eight member states. Associate membership 
for Ontario and Québec was established through the signing of a "Declaration 
of Partnership." The Commission maintains a formal Observer program 
involving U.S. and Canadian federal agencies, tribal authorities, binational 
agencies and other regional interests. The Commission offices are located in 
Ann Arbor, Michigan.


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