Board of Directors
President
Fred E. Cowles, P.E.
Fred Cowles is an environmental engineer and owner of Cowles Environmental. Cowles Environmental specializes in assistance to municipalities regarding stormwater management and other water pollution control issues. Fred previously worked for the consulting firm of Fishbeck Thompson Carr and Huber, and prior to that had an extensive career with Michigan’s water pollution control regulatory programs. He has a Bachelor of Science in Engineering and Master of Environmental Health from the University of Michigan, and a Masters of Public Administration from Western Michigan University. He is a registered Professional Engineer in Michigan.
Fred grew up in Detroit and has been a Lansing Area resident since 1972. He enjoys wilderness paddling, having paddled the Allagash River in Maine, the Boundary Waters in Minnesota, the Quetico in Ontario, the Buffalo River in Arkansas, the Okefenokee Swamp in Georgia, and many of Michigan’s rivers. He is an avid geocacher and enjoys travelling with his wife, Karen.
Vice President
Doug Carter
Doug retired from both Michigan DNR (1997) and Michigan State University (2008). He is a Veteran of the United States Coast Guard.
At MSU, he held joint appointments with Extension and three departments. As Water Quality Specialist, he conducted research and community education on water issues. On campus and at Kellogg Biological Station, he taught environmental sections of courses in numerous departments, and served as a student advisor.
Doug started with DNR as a Park Manager, and over 30 years served in many positions, a majority of that time as Chief of Rivers, Lakes and Streams Protection. All positions involved education, enforcement and coordination with a broad range of stakeholders and agencies.
As a self-employed consultant for five years, Doug provided watershed planning and public involvement expertise to the National Park Service, and the states of Pennsylvania and Delaware. He also designed and managed Rivers 2000, a yearlong celebration of North America's rivers.
Doug earned degrees from Indiana University and Michigan State University. He’s held numerous leadership positions in professional organizations, including national President of River Federation and Immediate Past-President of River Management Society. Doug has been recognized nationally and statewide for his contributions to river and watershed protection.
Treasurer
Loretta Crum
Duties include grant and fund raising activities, keeping all financial records.
Loretta currently works as Business Manager in the Text Management unit of Michigan State University libraries. She’s a veteran freelance publishing consultant including concept, design, layout, printing, marketing, and distribution; internet publishing including site creation, blogging, e-commerce, search engine optimization (SEO), and social media marketing. In 2015 she retired after 26 years of teaching college-level writing at Lansing Community College and Davenport University. A member of the State Bar of Michigan, she spent six years with the Michigan Office of the Attorney General’s Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture Division, providing counsel on environmental law and policy to state agency clients. She continues to run a limited solo practice in environmental law, property law, and nonprofit organizations. She holds a Juris Doctor from Western Michigan University Thomas M. Cooley Law School, and bachelor’s and master’s degrees in English from Northern Michigan University.
David Drullinger
Environmental Quality Analyst, MDEQ/DNRE/DNR (retired). Reviewed proposals for state and federal nonpoint source grants. Assisted with development of technical manuals for nonpoint source pollution and storm water runoff controls. Developed measures of success for water quality programs. Administered grants for storm water training seminars and manuals. Coordinate municipal storm water permitting activities statewide. Provided regulatory and technical advice to the Storm Water Program Coordinator, Division management, and staff. Develop administrative rules and written storm water guidance. Assisted with statutory revisions. Provided storm water seminars for municipal and industrial permittees. Provide permit compliance assistance by telephone and email. Assisted local governments with storm water control issues. Served as Michigan’s Storm Water Program liaison with U.S. EPA. Represent Michigan at National Storm Water Coordinators’ Meetings. Developed and conduct training for storm water district staff.
Master of Science in fishery science, 1985, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, New Mexico.
Bachelor of Science in biological science, 1981, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan.
Board Member
Gloria Miller
Duties include fund raising, liaison for associated organizations.
Science teacher (retired)
Grand River Expedition 1990, 2000, 2010
Founder of Friends of the Looking Glass River Watershed 1990
County Conservation Board. – Tri County GMB
Co-founder of Mid-Michigan Environmental Action Council (MidMEAC), Greater Lansing Recycling
Watertown Charter Township trustee (12 years)
Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from Michigan State College/Michigan State University
Board Member
Cliff Walls
Cliff Walls is an environmental planner for the Tri-County Regional Planning Commission specializing in stormwater management, non-point source pollution prevention, and public outreach. Previously, he was a field scientist working in consulting where he performed aquifer testing, vapor intrusion sampling, and soil classification for a hundreds of commercial developments and EPA Brownfield projects. He earned a B.A in Social Relations and Policy and B.S in Environmental Economics from Michigan State University.
A life-long Mid-Michigander and long-time Lansing resident, Cliff enjoys the variety of recreational opportunities available throughout the Great Lakes region. His interest in watersheds has inspired him to experience two of North America’s foremost water drainage and divide systems up close, having completed a 2,400 mile “Source-to-Sea” canoe trip of the Mississippi River in 2011 and a 2,700 mile, three-nation mountain bike tour down the spine of the Continental Divide in 2016.
Board Member
Paul Brogan
Paul Brogan is a small business owner who opened River Town Adventures in 2014 along the Grand River in downtown Lansing as a full service livery and boat shuttle service. River Town provides opportunities for paddling adventures on a combined 35 miles of the Grand and Red Cedar Rivers. He is a lifetime resident of Lansing and has formed a strong bond with the local paddling and outdoor recreation communities. Paul serves on the board of the Friends of the Lansing Regional Trails, as well as MGROW.
Paul is passionate about environmental stewardship and education. He founded the Lansing Earth Project in partnership with MGROW in 2017 to make volunteer river cleanups a regular part of life in Lansing. Since its inception, the Project has organized more than a dozen river and land clean-ups every year and has collected thousands of gallons of trash. The overall goal is to have a cleaner watershed to create a stronger bond between people and their local rivers and parks.