Mission, Management and Oversight
Mission and Vision
- Michigan Sea Grant supports research, outreach and education to enhance the sustainable use of Great Lakes resources to benefit the Michigan, Great Lakes and national economy, the environment, and the quality of life.
- Our vision is healthy and sustainable Great Lakes resources achieved through an integrated program that engages universities and public and private sectors.
Operating Principles
- Strategic input and feedback: Michigan Sea Grant routinely seeks input and feedback from external advisors. The program uses both formal and informal advisory structures that are program-based, agent-based or issue-based. The primary source of formal advice is the advisory committee; however, advisory groups are also formed for specific program and project needs.
- Open competition and peer review: Support for research is available to all qualified, university-based researchers in Michigan. Biennially, the program solicits proposals relevant to its strategic plan. Projects are selected for funding based on rigorous peer-review and ranking by a panel of independent scientific and technical experts.
- Consensus building: Michigan Sea Grant interacts with a broad range of Great Lakes stakeholders. Because of the complexity of issues that surround coastal resources, stakeholders sometimes disagree on the substance of issues. Sea Grant specialists work to bring these groups together to find common ground. An engaged constituency that puts aside individual interests while working on common goals is more effective.
- Inclusiveness: Michigan Sea Grant recognizes the need to have its programs represent and reach all Michigan citizens. To this end, research, outreach and education programs make special efforts to include non-traditional audiences.
Cooperative Management and Federal Support
Michigan Sea Grant College Program is a cooperative program of the University of Michigan (UM) and Michigan State University (MSU). It is part of the National Sea Grant College Program, a network of 32 university-based programs in coastal states across the country. Michigan Sea Grant receives core funding from National Sea Grant within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Matching funds come from the UM, MSU, other Michigan universities and other non-federal sources.
Management Team
Day-to-day operational decisions are made by a five-person management team. The team is made up of representatives from the University of Michigan, including the director, assistant director and communications/education services director; and from Michigan State University, including the associate director and extension program leader. The Michigan Sea Grant management team receives guidance from the National Sea Grant Program office, the advisory committee and executive committee, Sea Grant constituents and staff.
- Management team and staff profiles, see: Contact
Oversight
National Sea Grant Program Office
The National Sea Grant Planning, Implementation and Evaluation System includes planning, evaluation and performance review of each state Sea Grant program:
- Strategic plan: Every four years, National Sea Grant develops a new National Sea Grant Strategic and Implementation Plan, which serves as the basis for Michigan Sea Grant and the other 31 Sea Grant programs to develop strategic plans. The Michigan Sea Grant plan was developed with input from our constituents, staff, management team, advisory committee and National Sea Grant program officer. National Sea Grant approved the plan, in consultation with the National Sea Grant review panel.
- Annual reports/self-evaluation: Report data is used to evaluate progress against the strategic plan, national performance measures and metrics each year.
- Site visit/formal review: Every four years, a review team visits Michigan Sea Grant and all other Sea Grant programs. The review team meets with the management team, advisory committee and Michigan Sea Grant’s key constituents.
- Performance review panel: Following the completion of site visits to all programs in the Sea Grant network, the panel evaluates the progress of all state Sea Grant programs, relative to their four-year strategic plans.
Advisory Committee
Composed of key client stakeholders and senior university administrators, the Michigan Sea Grant advisory committee provides strategic advice, guidance and feedback on existing and future programs and specific feedback about the strategic plan. Advisory committee members serve as program advocates by identifying opportunities for collaboration and support, both internal to the member’s organization and external to them, particularly with state and federal agencies and legislators. The advisory committee is co-chaired by the vice presidents for research of the University of Michigan and Michigan State University.
- Executive committee: The executive committee is a subset of the advisory committee, composed primarily of university administrators and constituent representatives. The advisory committee is able to act in lieu of the full committee when necessary and provides tactical and operational guidance to the management team. The executive committee also assists with targeted outreach within and outside UM and MSU, and identifies partners, corporate sponsors, donors and foundations to help sustain, enhance and increase program efforts.
Advisory Committee Members
- John Austin, Michigan State Board of Education, President
- Jill Bentgen, Mackinac Straits Fish Company, Owner
- Chris Boyle, Port Austin Kayak, Attorney/Owner of Port Austin Kayak
- Andrea Brown, Michigan Association of Planning, Executive Director
- Craig Czarnecki, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Landscape Conservation Cooperative Coordinator
- Rick Deuell, Northeast Michigan Council of Governments, Deputy Director/Senior Planner
- Suzanne Dixon, Lake Michigan League of Conservation Voters
- Tim Eder, Great Lakes Commission, Executive Director
- Tammy Newcomb, Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Fishery Research Program Manager
- Mike George, Huron-Clinton Metropolitan Authority, Chief of Interpretive Services
- Chris Goddard, Great Lakes Fishery Commission, Executive Secretary
- Gary Rentrop, Rentrop & Morrison, P.C., Attorney
- John Ropp, Michigan Boating Industries Association, President
- Helen Taylor, The Nature Conservancy, State Director
- Forrest Williams, Bayport Fisheries, Fisherman
Executive Committee - Co-chairs
- Ian Gray, Michigan State University, Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies
- Mark Banaszak Holl, University of Michigan, Associate Vice President for Research
Executive Committee Members
- Marie Lynn Miranda, University of Michigan School of Natural Resources and Environment, Dean
- Mark Burnham, Michigan State University, Vice President for Governmental Affairs
- Tom Coone, Michigan State University Extension
- Denny Grinold, Fish ‘N’ Grin Charters and Mich. Charter Boat Assn., Owner; and Director, Government Relations
- Steve Pueppke, Michigan State University, Director, AgBio Research (MAES)
- Van Snider, Michigan State Waterways Commission, Director
- Cynthia Wilbanks, University of Michigan, Vice President for Government Relations
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