Michigan Lt. Gov. John Cherry elected to chair Great Lakes Commission

Ann Arbor, Mich. – Michigan Lt. Gov. John Cherry has been elected chair of the Great Lakes Commission, the multi-state organization has announced.

Cherry was elected by unanimous vote of his fellow Commissioners on Thursday, October 5, 2006, at the close of the Commission’s 2006 Annual Meeting in Duluth, Minn. Illinois Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn was elected vice chair.

"I am deeply honored to serve the Great Lakes Commission as Chair," Cherry said. "The Commission is uniquely poised to offer solutions to the challenges facing our tremendous natural resources, while ensuring the sustainability of the economies that rely on them. I am thrilled to be in this position with the Great Lakes Commission during this time of change and growth."

It is the first time in the Commission’s 51-year history that its two top posts have been held by lieutenant governors of its member states. The Commission is created by a compact among the eight Great Lakes states to address shared issues relating to the water and other natural resources of the Great Lakes basin. The Canadian provinces of Ontario and Québec have associate member status.

"The role of the chair is to bring together the board and the Commissioners to speak with a common voice on behalf of the Great Lakes states and provinces," said Tim Eder, executive director of the Great Lakes Commission. "With his long experience in state government, knowledge of regional issues and status as lieutenant governor of Michigan, John Cherry is the perfect person to lead his fellow state leaders to join forces for the protection, cleanup and sustainable use of the Great Lakes."

"Having two lieutenant governors in our top posts at the Great Lakes Commission will be an enormous boon for the Commission," Eder continued. "As the second-ranking officials of their respective states, they are ideally positioned to both help the Commission advance regional environmental and economic goals, while ensuring that those priorities are in tune with our governors and other state leaders."

Cherry succeeds Minnesota state Rep. Tom Huntley, who chaired the organization the past two years. Cherry will serve a one-year term and be eligible for re-election at the end of that term.

The Great Lakes Commission is headquartered in Ann Arbor, Mich.

Contact: Tim Eder, executive director, teder@glc.org
734-971-9135, cell 734-604-7281

The Great Lakes Commission, chaired by Lt. Gov. John Cherry (Mich.), 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 governors' appointees, state legislators, and agency officials 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.