Board of Directors (2019-2020)
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Bob Kingon, President
Having spent the last fifty years visiting and living in Antrim County, Bob has witnessed the many accomplishments of lake associations and Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council against the varied issues that threaten the watersheds of Northern Michigan. As a member of the Watershed Council board, Bob feels privileged to assist the organization in serving the interests of riparians and all who enjoy our pristine waters. Bob has also served as a member of the Elk-Skegemog Lakes Association Board of Directors, the Milton Township Parks and Recreation Committee, the Milton Township Zoning Board of Appeals, the Elk Rapids Golf Club Board of Governors, and as the Milton Township Planning Commissioner.
Rick Doornbos, Vice President
Rick retired in 2012 after 33 years of service at Dow Corning and Hemlock Semiconductor. He and his wife Sandy of 38 years have three children and five grandchildren. They currently split their time between their Torch Lake home and Midland, Michigan where their children and grandchildren live. Rick is a member of the Three Lakes Association (TLA) Board and Water Quality Team since February 2016. He is an active member of his church and enjoys music, woodworking, water sports, biking, traveling, and spending time with family. Rick joined the Watershed Council board to represent TLA and to help preserve the quality of Northern Michigan lakes and streams for his grandchildren and future generations.
Rick Brandi, Treasurer
Ever since he moved to northern Michigan, Rick has been a crucial member of the Watershed Council. From the time when he started his membership in 1985, Rick has put in countless volunteer hours at various Watershed Council events, participated in monitoring and cleanup efforts, and is often seen sporting the Watershed Council logo. For Rick, it is the protection of water quality that is so very important. “I promised myself I would ‘touch the water’ every day I lived in Northern Michigan just to remind me of why I live here. That’s why I’m excited and feel honored to serve on this board.” Rick brings to the board experience in educating local government to use best management practices in storm water management, the use of rain gardens, shoreline green belts and restorations, respecting wetlands, and meeting Michigan Clean Harbor certification. He also has 26 years of experience in municipal finance and board experience with 19 years on the Charlevoix Library Board, spending time as President and Treasurer of that board.
Bill Foster, Secretary
Bill retired in 2014 after 25 years with Eli Lilly in Indianapolis, IN. He and his wife Marty, who have been married for 40 years, have a daughter and son in law living in Chicago. Bill’s lifelong love affair with the natural world began 60 years ago in northern Michigan where he vacationed with his family. That seed planted by those early experiences in Michigan prompted a degree in biology and seasonal positions with the US Forest Service during the 80’s. Now full time residents of Michigan and living on Douglas Lake, Bill is a director on the board of the Douglas Lake Improvement Association. in northern Michigan, ecological health and quality of life are are explicitly linked via our water resources. Protection and advocacy for this natural asset is essential for continued enjoyment by future generations. Bill feels privileged to serve as a board member of Tip of the Mitt and have the opportunity to help preserve what we have.
Herm Boatin
As a former science education teacher-leader, Herm Boatin particularly appreciates the many ways in which the Watershed Council educates and reaches out to the region’s citizens. His early experience with the Watershed Council as a stream monitor volunteer impressed him with the professional approach of the program and the support given by volunteers from regional watersheds. Herm is Vice President of the Mullett Lake Area Preservation Society Board of Directors and Vice President of the Straits Area Audubon Society.
Tom Darnton
Tom is a practicing attorney, based in Charlevoix and focused on condominium and property law, with a particular interest in waterfront property issues. Tom enjoys living on Lake Charlevoix and volunteers for the Watershed Council's lake monitoring program. Tom is a past board member of the Inland Seas Education Association, and a present board member of Lake Charlevoix Association and Charlevoix Historical Society. Additionally, Tom is the chair of the Hayes Township Zoning Board of Appeals and serves as secretary of the township's Parks and Recreation Committee. He co-chairs the LCA work team that oversees the Boyne City Demonstration Garden Project. Tom joined the Watershed Council board looking for ways to productively work towards the preservation and improvement of the conditions in the Watershed for all forms of life. He has a strong belief in collaboration and thoughtful planning.
Jerry Huey
Jerry studied in a multidisciplinary math and science program (Lyman Briggs College) with an emphasis on biology at Michigan State University. He went on to a 37 year career with the American Red Cross, retiring in 2014 and moving to Douglas Lake. During his tenure at the Red Cross he worked at every level of the organization, from service provider to executive leader. "I have been in, on, and near the water all my life. In addition to teaching swimming and lifeguarding, I have lead outdoor education teachers into the wilderness, river canoeing, and sea kayaking. I am an avid sailor, have been to the North Channel more than 20 times, raced in 11 Mackinac races, and race regularly on Lake Charlevoix and Little Traverse Bay. I also fish on my own Douglas Lake, other local lakes, rivers, and streams. Clean water is necessary for my future."
Chuck Kneese
Chuck's passion for Northern Michigan and its waters began over 60 years ago when his father brought his family from Indiana to see the (then new) marvel of engineering known as the Mackinac Bridge. He never forgot the area. As an Eagle Scout his interest and love for the thoughtful stewardship of Nature and Natural Resources continued to grow to this day. Chuck and his wife Cristy have been full-time residents living on Crooked Lake since 2009. He is a pharmacist and a retired executive with 50 years of experience in community pharmacy and the Pharmacy Benefit Management Industry, and he served on the American Cancer Society Board for the Elkhart Indiana Chapter. Chuck feels honored and excited for the opportunity to serve the Watershed Council in this critical role as a member of its Board of Directors.
Larry Levengood
Larry has a passion for protecting the water quality and water resources of Northern Michigan. He believes that our valuable water resources are a vital factor in promoting a high quality of life and a thriving economy. He is presently a member of the Board of Directors of the Lake Charlevoix Association and the Charlevoix County Planning Commission. His background in planning and environmental health provides a good fit for service on the Watershed Council Board of Directors.
Jim Muth
Jim worked with the Watershed Council staff on a restoration project on Birch Lake in 2019 which was very successful. "As a counselor working at a very high-end wilderness summer camp in Montana, my eyes were opened to the environmental issue of that time, mainly clear cut lumbering permitted on national forest lands. In 1972, I organized my high schools' first Earth Day cleanup event. During my college internship at Shanty Creek, I found Birch Lake and fell in love with Northern Michigan and the lake. My Michigan State University senior hospitality capstone project developed the concept, and economic and ecological benefit, of converting unused and heat producing roof space into what I referred to at the time as 'Living Roof Scapes' for the Westin Hotel in Detroit." Jim taught for 33 years at Grand Rapids Community College before moving to Birch Lake in 2015.
Linda Oelke
Linda Oelke is involved in the Pickerel and Crooked Lake Association as well as the Watershed Council. Linda worked as an engineer for Chrysler for many years before taking time off of work to raise her children. Linda grew up spending a lot of time enjoying the lakes in Northern Michigan with her family. Her husband is originally from Northern Michigan, so the switch to being "up north" was an easy one. Linda wants to make sure that the lakes are preserved for future generations to enjoy, just like she did when she was a child, and just like she still does!
Ken Polakowski
"Serving on the Board provides the opportunity for me to continue my life-long professional and personal commitment to assist in the management, planning, design, preservation, and protection of the public landscape. As a citizen who doesn't reside on the water's edge or in the forest landscape, I have always been concerned about public access to the outstanding natural resources of Michigan and beyond. Consequently, my background and perspective regarding natural resource management can assist the Watershed Council in achieving its mission goals and objectives."
Dennis Roudi
Dennis has lived on or very near Michigan water his entire life and strongly believes in protecting it for future generations. He has vacationed and has now lived full-time on Walloon Lake since the early 1980s. He and his wife have been active members and volunteers of the Walloon Lake Association and Conservancy (WLAC) since the late 1990s and have seen directly how organizations like WLAC and the Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council favorably impact the watershed. He is excited to take a more active role in helping the Watershed Council continue its important work.
Mike Supernault
Mike serves on the Burt Lake Preservation Association environment and land use committee and has for years. He has worked with the Watershed Council staff on many projects. "Most of my working life was spent spending my morning teaching Earth Science and my afternoons were spent at the Lapeer Community Schools Skinner Lake Environmental Ed. Center. A program I started in 1972 and directed and taught there until 2002. I still love working with young people."
Donna Stine
Donna lives near Walloon Lake, has a cottage on the Sturgeon River, and keeps a boat on the Crooked River. Many summer days are spent enjoying these bodies of water along with Burt, Crooked, and Pickerel Lakes. In addition to her appreciation for the northern Michigan waters, Donna worked for 42 years in the conservation arena. From being the Policy Director of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, the Deputy Director of the Michigan United Conservation Clubs, and the environment and agriculture Policy Director for Governor J. Granholm, Donna has earned her recognition from the Alliance for the Great Lakes for her conservation efforts. She is interested in the impact of climate change on northern Michigan and is supportive of the Watershed Council’s work to fully understand this issue among others that threaten northern Michigan’s waters.
Jerry Huey
Having spent the last fifty years visiting and living in Antrim County, Bob has witnessed the many accomplishments of lake associations and Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council against the varied issues that threaten the watersheds of Northern Michigan. As a member of the Watershed Council board, Bob feels privileged to assist the organization in serving the interests of riparians and all who enjoy our pristine waters. Bob has also served as a member of the Elk-Skegemog Lakes Association Board of Directors, the Milton Township Parks and Recreation Committee, the Milton Township Zoning Board of Appeals, the Elk Rapids Golf Club Board of Governors, and as the Milton Township Planning Commissioner.
Rick Doornbos, Vice President
Rick retired in 2012 after 33 years of service at Dow Corning and Hemlock Semiconductor. He and his wife Sandy of 38 years have three children and five grandchildren. They currently split their time between their Torch Lake home and Midland, Michigan where their children and grandchildren live. Rick is a member of the Three Lakes Association (TLA) Board and Water Quality Team since February 2016. He is an active member of his church and enjoys music, woodworking, water sports, biking, traveling, and spending time with family. Rick joined the Watershed Council board to represent TLA and to help preserve the quality of Northern Michigan lakes and streams for his grandchildren and future generations.
Rick Brandi, Treasurer
Ever since he moved to northern Michigan, Rick has been a crucial member of the Watershed Council. From the time when he started his membership in 1985, Rick has put in countless volunteer hours at various Watershed Council events, participated in monitoring and cleanup efforts, and is often seen sporting the Watershed Council logo. For Rick, it is the protection of water quality that is so very important. “I promised myself I would ‘touch the water’ every day I lived in Northern Michigan just to remind me of why I live here. That’s why I’m excited and feel honored to serve on this board.” Rick brings to the board experience in educating local government to use best management practices in storm water management, the use of rain gardens, shoreline green belts and restorations, respecting wetlands, and meeting Michigan Clean Harbor certification. He also has 26 years of experience in municipal finance and board experience with 19 years on the Charlevoix Library Board, spending time as President and Treasurer of that board.
Bill Foster, Secretary
Bill retired in 2014 after 25 years with Eli Lilly in Indianapolis, IN. He and his wife Marty, who have been married for 40 years, have a daughter and son in law living in Chicago. Bill’s lifelong love affair with the natural world began 60 years ago in northern Michigan where he vacationed with his family. That seed planted by those early experiences in Michigan prompted a degree in biology and seasonal positions with the US Forest Service during the 80’s. Now full time residents of Michigan and living on Douglas Lake, Bill is a director on the board of the Douglas Lake Improvement Association. in northern Michigan, ecological health and quality of life are are explicitly linked via our water resources. Protection and advocacy for this natural asset is essential for continued enjoyment by future generations. Bill feels privileged to serve as a board member of Tip of the Mitt and have the opportunity to help preserve what we have.
Herm Boatin
As a former science education teacher-leader, Herm Boatin particularly appreciates the many ways in which the Watershed Council educates and reaches out to the region’s citizens. His early experience with the Watershed Council as a stream monitor volunteer impressed him with the professional approach of the program and the support given by volunteers from regional watersheds. Herm is Vice President of the Mullett Lake Area Preservation Society Board of Directors and Vice President of the Straits Area Audubon Society.
Tom Darnton
Tom is a practicing attorney, based in Charlevoix and focused on condominium and property law, with a particular interest in waterfront property issues. Tom enjoys living on Lake Charlevoix and volunteers for the Watershed Council's lake monitoring program. Tom is a past board member of the Inland Seas Education Association, and a present board member of Lake Charlevoix Association and Charlevoix Historical Society. Additionally, Tom is the chair of the Hayes Township Zoning Board of Appeals and serves as secretary of the township's Parks and Recreation Committee. He co-chairs the LCA work team that oversees the Boyne City Demonstration Garden Project. Tom joined the Watershed Council board looking for ways to productively work towards the preservation and improvement of the conditions in the Watershed for all forms of life. He has a strong belief in collaboration and thoughtful planning.
Jerry Huey
Jerry studied in a multidisciplinary math and science program (Lyman Briggs College) with an emphasis on biology at Michigan State University. He went on to a 37 year career with the American Red Cross, retiring in 2014 and moving to Douglas Lake. During his tenure at the Red Cross he worked at every level of the organization, from service provider to executive leader. "I have been in, on, and near the water all my life. In addition to teaching swimming and lifeguarding, I have lead outdoor education teachers into the wilderness, river canoeing, and sea kayaking. I am an avid sailor, have been to the North Channel more than 20 times, raced in 11 Mackinac races, and race regularly on Lake Charlevoix and Little Traverse Bay. I also fish on my own Douglas Lake, other local lakes, rivers, and streams. Clean water is necessary for my future."
Chuck Kneese
Chuck's passion for Northern Michigan and its waters began over 60 years ago when his father brought his family from Indiana to see the (then new) marvel of engineering known as the Mackinac Bridge. He never forgot the area. As an Eagle Scout his interest and love for the thoughtful stewardship of Nature and Natural Resources continued to grow to this day. Chuck and his wife Cristy have been full-time residents living on Crooked Lake since 2009. He is a pharmacist and a retired executive with 50 years of experience in community pharmacy and the Pharmacy Benefit Management Industry, and he served on the American Cancer Society Board for the Elkhart Indiana Chapter. Chuck feels honored and excited for the opportunity to serve the Watershed Council in this critical role as a member of its Board of Directors.
Larry Levengood
Larry has a passion for protecting the water quality and water resources of Northern Michigan. He believes that our valuable water resources are a vital factor in promoting a high quality of life and a thriving economy. He is presently a member of the Board of Directors of the Lake Charlevoix Association and the Charlevoix County Planning Commission. His background in planning and environmental health provides a good fit for service on the Watershed Council Board of Directors.
Jim Muth
Jim worked with the Watershed Council staff on a restoration project on Birch Lake in 2019 which was very successful. "As a counselor working at a very high-end wilderness summer camp in Montana, my eyes were opened to the environmental issue of that time, mainly clear cut lumbering permitted on national forest lands. In 1972, I organized my high schools' first Earth Day cleanup event. During my college internship at Shanty Creek, I found Birch Lake and fell in love with Northern Michigan and the lake. My Michigan State University senior hospitality capstone project developed the concept, and economic and ecological benefit, of converting unused and heat producing roof space into what I referred to at the time as 'Living Roof Scapes' for the Westin Hotel in Detroit." Jim taught for 33 years at Grand Rapids Community College before moving to Birch Lake in 2015.
Linda Oelke
Linda Oelke is involved in the Pickerel and Crooked Lake Association as well as the Watershed Council. Linda worked as an engineer for Chrysler for many years before taking time off of work to raise her children. Linda grew up spending a lot of time enjoying the lakes in Northern Michigan with her family. Her husband is originally from Northern Michigan, so the switch to being "up north" was an easy one. Linda wants to make sure that the lakes are preserved for future generations to enjoy, just like she did when she was a child, and just like she still does!
Ken Polakowski
"Serving on the Board provides the opportunity for me to continue my life-long professional and personal commitment to assist in the management, planning, design, preservation, and protection of the public landscape. As a citizen who doesn't reside on the water's edge or in the forest landscape, I have always been concerned about public access to the outstanding natural resources of Michigan and beyond. Consequently, my background and perspective regarding natural resource management can assist the Watershed Council in achieving its mission goals and objectives."
Dennis Roudi
Dennis has lived on or very near Michigan water his entire life and strongly believes in protecting it for future generations. He has vacationed and has now lived full-time on Walloon Lake since the early 1980s. He and his wife have been active members and volunteers of the Walloon Lake Association and Conservancy (WLAC) since the late 1990s and have seen directly how organizations like WLAC and the Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council favorably impact the watershed. He is excited to take a more active role in helping the Watershed Council continue its important work.
Mike Supernault
Mike serves on the Burt Lake Preservation Association environment and land use committee and has for years. He has worked with the Watershed Council staff on many projects. "Most of my working life was spent spending my morning teaching Earth Science and my afternoons were spent at the Lapeer Community Schools Skinner Lake Environmental Ed. Center. A program I started in 1972 and directed and taught there until 2002. I still love working with young people."
Donna Stine
Donna lives near Walloon Lake, has a cottage on the Sturgeon River, and keeps a boat on the Crooked River. Many summer days are spent enjoying these bodies of water along with Burt, Crooked, and Pickerel Lakes. In addition to her appreciation for the northern Michigan waters, Donna worked for 42 years in the conservation arena. From being the Policy Director of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, the Deputy Director of the Michigan United Conservation Clubs, and the environment and agriculture Policy Director for Governor J. Granholm, Donna has earned her recognition from the Alliance for the Great Lakes for her conservation efforts. She is interested in the impact of climate change on northern Michigan and is supportive of the Watershed Council’s work to fully understand this issue among others that threaten northern Michigan’s waters.
Jerry Huey
