NOTE: The year in brackets {[ ]} next to each director's name indicates the first year elected director.

Thomas Baird [1988]

Tom Baird, b. 1951, is a principal in the law firm of White, Schneider, Baird, Young & Chiodini, P.C., and is the Chairman of the Ingham County Bar Association Labor and Employment Law Section. His law practice is devoted to labor litigation at both the state and federal levels, in the areas of wrongful discharge, employment discrimination, labor management relations, executive employment, election, and administrative law.

Tom has been instrumental in numerous legal initiatives spearheaded by the Anglers (or in collaboration with other conservation organizations), chief among these include the FERC Dam Relicensing oversight campaign, an ongoing initiative sponsored by the Michigan Hydro Relicensing Coalition (of which the Anglers are a member organization). For his sustained efforts with the FERC project, Tom was the recipient, along with four others, of the 1994 Riverkeeper of the Year Award. Tom has also served as chief legal counsel for various Anglers oversight activities, including the Salling Dam drawdown; the ongoing issues regarding operation of the Lake St. Helens dam (and the impact to water level in the South Branch of the Au Sable River); copyright issues; Au Sable/Manistee Action Committee joint activities; the Antrim gas exploration and drilling controversy; among others.

In his other life, Tom fishes, hunts, skis, and spends as much time as possible up north at his cabin on the Au Sable mainstream and out west.

Wayne Blessing [2000]

Wayne Blessing, b. 1962, is a corporate officer and member of the board of directors of Creative Foam Corporation, a Fenton-based manufacturer. Wayne has served in various executive positions in the automotive industry for the last 20 years. He has a keen focus on strategy development, employee development and customer satisfaction. Wayne is a graduate of Clemson University and started trout fishing as a youngster in the western Carolina mountains. New to the Angler's board of directors, we hope to tap into Wayne's expertise in strategic planning and customer (i.e. member) satisfaction.

He is a life member of Trout Unlimited and a member of the Federation of Fly Fishers. He is also a long-standing member of the Anglers of the Au Sable. Wayne and his family reside in Ann Arbor, Michigan when they are not plying the waters near their cabin on the Holy Water of the Au Sable main branch.

Don Boyd [1987]

Don Boyd, b. 1950, is a practicing neuropsychologist and has been in private practice in the Grand Rapids area for nearly 15 years. He is associated with the neurosciences department of Spectrum Health and the Spectrum Mild Head Injury Program. He maintains a private practice with his wife of 23 years, Deborah, who also serves as secretary and office manager. They have four children ages 15, 17, 19, and 21, not counting his German Shorthair, Remington, age 20 months.

Don first saw the Au Sable River at around the age of six, near or around the present location of Rusty Gates’ house. The site of a fisherman working the cobblestone stream bed was awe inspiring. He began driving to the Au Sable to fish as soon as he had reliable (or unreliable) transportation. Over the years, Don spent many springs sleeping in the back of a car at Keystone Campground.

Don and Deborah bought their property on the Au Sable in 1986. Occasionally, he is lucky enough to work in the area and spend a great deal of spring, summer, and fall time there if not distracted by his duties playing saxophone. Don’s primary interests are in the stream environment and fish biology. He has been involved in the Rayburn Property acquisition, monitoring shocking surveys, and his current responsibility as an Anglers director (among other sundry details) is planning instream fish cover restoration which can be done by property owners in conjunction with the greater restoration plan of the Au Sable

Thomas Buhr [2003]

Thomas Buhr, b. 1958, claims both Michigan and Florida as his homes states. Born in Ann Arbor, he moved to Florida at 14 when his father retired from the machine tool business. Buhr fell in love with the Sunshine State, especially the diverse fishing opportunities and the scenic sandy beaches. He vowed never to leave it.

Over the next two decades he was eyewitness to the destruction of many beautiful and unique areas in Florida due to unchecked development. His first environmental activity involved the Save Our Sealife movement in the early 1990s. The movement was in response to rampant gill-netting in Florida's coastal waters. It ended with a successful referendum for a constitutional amendment to ban gill-netting in Florida waters, an outcome that was widely praised by conservationists.

Buhr moved back to Michigan in 1994, partly to pursue a degree at the University of Michigan, and partly because the Florida he loved was rapidly vanishing. He took up fly fishing in 1996 - as a kid he did it for bass and bluegill - and started coming to the Au Sable in 1997. The Au Sable Valley had much the same effect on him as Florida did in his youth. He had found another place to love and protect.

An academic refugee - he has degrees from three universities including a Ph.D from Michigan - Buhr now runs a fly fishing shop in Mio with fellow Board member, Bob Linsenman and downstate dentist, Scott Smith. Tom also spent four years as a grant writer and Contract Coordinator for the Center for Independent Living in Central Florida in the early 1990s - an agency dedicated to helping persons with disabilities achieve self-reliance. A freelance writer as well, he has published with Field & Stream, Florida Game & Fish, The Fisherman, Midwest Fly Fishing, Michigan Out-of-Doors, and Michigan's Streamside Journal, among others. He is currently the Editor of The RIVERWATCH.

Mark Daane [1999]

Mark Daane, b. 1952, is an independent trial lawyer. He has been actively involved with Trout Unlimited for 27 years, Ducks Unlimited and the Ruffed Grouse Society for twenty years, and the Anglers of the Au Sable for ten. Mark was a key contributor to the legal proceedings on the Michigan Hydro Relicensing Coalition in the FERC relicencing of the dams on the Au Sable. Along with his father, Roderick Daane (see above), Mark litigated the Antrim gas issues on behalf of the Michigan Environmental trust. He lives in Chelsea, Michigan.

John Dallas [2000]

John Dallas, b. 1943, retired from Ford Motor Company in 1999, after having served in a number of Product Development, Engineering, and Business Planning functions. His area of specialization was emerging overseas markets. At the time of his retirement, he was helping to guide Ford into business in India. His education includes an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. He also served as a Company Commander in the U.S. Army in Korea in 1969

He has been a lifelong outdoorsman, starting with teen summers spent boating and fishing on the Chesapeake Bay. After moving to Michigan in 1971, he was introduced to grouse hunting, fly fishing and deer hunting at a friend's cabin on the Manistee near the CCC Bridge. Life has not been the same since! He also developed an interest in bird dogs, and was involved with field trial Springer Spaniels for over 15 years. Recently, however, he switched allegiance to Labradors, and now has a dog that he says is the best he's ever had - a dog that he imported from Scotland. The "Hows and Whys" of that decision can and should be discussed over a glass of your favorite beverage. Ask him sometime.

John is a Life Member of Trout Unlimited, and was a Board member of the Paul Young Chapter for eight years, resigning that post to become involved in the Anglers of the Au Sable. As chair of the Capital Campaign Steering Committee, he's looking forward to the challenge of launching this ambitious Anglers initiative, hoping for a lot of support from members of the Anglers. He is also actively involved with Ducks Unlimited and the Ruffed Grouse Society. He has a cabin on the North Branch, and enjoys fishing and canoeing with his wife, Jane, from Dam Four to his cabin above Morley Road. He has two married daughters, and is looking forward to the day when their children are old enough to learn about all the good things that the Au Sable area has to offer.

Alan Diodore [2006]

Alan Diodore, b. 1940, is originally from Indiana. He holds a B.S. and a J.D. from Indiana University, and an Honorary L.L.D. Admitted to the Bar in 1964, he was a Captain in the JAG Corps, then worked for the State of Indiana in various legal capacities from 1972 to 1994. In 1994, Alan was appointed a United States Administrative Law Judge and was assigned to Michigan where he and his wife, Janet, have lived since. Currently, Alan works part-time for Bloomquist and Associates Law Firm in Grayling and, in addition to serviing as a director for teh Anglers, sits on the Board of the Anglers as well as the boards of the North Branch Association, the North Branch Foundation, and the AuSable/Manistee Action Council. He also serves as a member of the South Branch Township Planning Committee.

They bought their home on the North Branch of the AuSable in 1997 and have lived on the river full-time since April, 2003. The household is rounded out by their twin Brittanys, Charlie and Emily.

Patrick Dwyer [1987]

Dr. Patrick Dwyer, b. 1943 in Chicago, has been treasurer of the Anglers since 1988 and is also a founding director. He was raised in the Toledo area and has enjoyed fishing and hunting from a young age, beginning with excursions to the nearby Maumee River. Pat attended Ohio State University and the University of Toledo, obtaining a B.S. with honors. He then went on to Veterinary School at Ohio State, graduating on 1970 and moving later that year to Michigan.

Pat worked for 5 years in a 10-veterinarian small animal practice in Birmingham, then moved to Rochester and became partner in the North Hills Veterinary Hospital, a small animal practice. He specializes in ophthalmology.

Pat has been coming to the Au Sable since the early 1970's. He has been a commercial fly tier of trout flies in the past and currently co-owns a small fishing retreat on Big Creek in Lovells Township. When not fishing on the Au Sable, Pat makes his home in Rochester with his wife, Sani, and two golden retrievers. Pat and Sani have two grown daughers and one grandchild.

Calvin H. Gates, Jr. [1987]

Calvin H. ("Rusty") Gates Jr., b. 1955, is proprietor of Gates Au Sable Lodge, 8 miles east of Grayling on the Holy Water stretch of the Au Sable's main branch. He is credited with the original concept of the Anglers of the Au Sable, who recruited the other five anglers who ultimately organized the first kickoff meeting of the organization in January 1987. Rusty has held the office of president since the Angler's founding in 1987 and has been the driving force behind the long-term, sustained success of the organization. Fly Rod & Reel magazine recognized these efforts. In 1994, the publication named Rusty its Angler of the Year.

Rusty's accomplishments are many when it comes to the Au Sable's conservation saga. Beginning with the catch-and-release controversy on the Au Sable's Holy Water in 1986, Rusty has played a leadership or man-behind-the-scenes role in virtually every major project the Anglers have undertaken, including building a strong bond with the Au Sable/Manistee Action Committee and a half-dozen other key organizations; providing constant oversight of numerous Camp Grayling activities; leveraging his numerous contacts in the DNR and the flyfishing industry to launch cooperative conservation efforts, joint funding and brokering of projects. Since the beginning, Rusty as been our liaison with Glen Shepard and The North Woods Call, and consequently the Anglers have received more than its share of press coverage for its causes.

With his wife, Julie, Rusty operates a nationally recognized fly fishing retreat that his mother, Mary, and father, Cal Sr., founded in the early seventies. Gates Au Sable Lodge serves as the unofficial headquarters of the Anglers. All board meetings are held at the Lodge's Board Room. The Annual River Clean-Up starts and ends at the Lodge each September. When not leading the latest charge or tending his well-stocked pro shop, Rusty and Julie live on the mainstream. They have three children and two very precocious bird dogs. When he finds the time, in between hundreds of dozens of flies he ties each year, you may even catch Rusty throwing a length of line or in the middle of yet another carpentry project.

Editor's Note: We wish to recognize and thank Julie Gates for her many years of service to the Angler in a variety of capacities, including helping with our participation at trade shows, and allowing us to mess up the kitchen at the Lodge several times per year.

Karen Harrison [2007]

Karen Harrison, b. 1948, works as a consultant from her home in Frederic. She is retired from 33 years of work in the pharmaceutical industry where she worked at bench research, in clinical research, project management, legal (product liability) and Clinical Quality Assurance as a Manager.

While in Kalamazoo, besides working full time she was an artist producing weaving, pottery and blown and cast glass. She was a founding member of an area art cooperative, Art, Etc.

She started fly fishing about 6 years ago when she attended a class held by the Flygirls at the fish hatchery near Kalamazoo. After that she would be seen often at Gates Lodge while looking for a home on the river. This dream became a reality in 2006, when she, Jack and Sheba, their Australian Shepherd, moved to the headwaters of the Au Sable River. She quickly started asking what could be done to assist the Anglers and was taken to task. Karen is also on the Board of Directors for the Flygirls, and involved in the organization of the GLC FFF Fly Tying Expo which is held every year in Mason, MI.

When not working, Karen can be found gardening, tending to her orchid collection, or in a place of solitude along the river.

Bruce Johnson [1987]

Bruce Johnson, b. 1946, is a retired university administrator. He was employed at an institutionally owned bookstore for 22 years where he helped computerize the textbook ordering process and inventory control. He then served as a college financial aid officer for six years where his duties included various governmental compliance reports, database maintenance, and responding to institutional requests for financial aid data and statistics.

Bruce has been an avid fly fisher since 1980 and has fished the Au Sable since 1985. He and his wife, Meg, own a cabin near the "Holy Water" and spend their summers in the Grayling area and their winters in Florida. They have two sons.

Bruce is a founding board member of the Anglers of the Au Sable and served as the secretary (1988-1998). He currently chairs the Membership Committee, maintains the membership database and also manages the pin inventory and distribution. For his unbridled professionalism, quality of work, and consistency of purpose, Bruce was awarded the Riverkeeper Award in 2000.

Editor's Note: We wish to recognize and thank Meg Johnson for her many years of service to the Anglers in a variety of capacities.

When not on the river, Bruce's hobbies include carpentry, reading, canoeing, gourmet dining and touring.

William Kotowicz [2006]

Michael Krause [1996]

Mike Krause, b. 1952, lives in Ann Arbor with wife Jill, daughter Laura, daughter Emma and son Michael. The family also includes Jack Russell terrier Sparky, French Brittanies Cricket and Hops and cat Ruby.

Mike practices Periodontics and Surgical Dental Implantology full-time in the city of Ann Arbor. A University of Michigan graduate, he taught clinical dentistry after receiving his D.D.S. degree and for several years after receiving his M.S. in periodontics. He is a member of numerous professional organizations including The American Academy of Periodontology, Michigan Periodontal Association, American Dental Association, American Academy of Oral Medicine, Michigan Dental Association, Washtenaw Dental Society and Vedder Society of Crown and Bridge Prosthodontics. He is currently serving as Secretary/Treasurer of The Michigan Periodontal Association and in the past served as Editor of the Washtenaw Dental Newsletter, President of the Washtenaw Dental Society, committees of the Michigan Dental Association including Dentpac, House of Delegates, Communication and has acted as a peer reviewer for the State of Michigan, Department of Licensing and Regulation.

When he is not giving flossing lessons, rebuilding mouths or refitting the plumbing and doors of his old cabin, he likes to float flies in front of unsuspecting brown, brook or rainbow trout of the Au Sable river system. Mike's activities with the Angler's have mostly centered around the annual river cleanup. He absolutely hates canoes, canoe racers and anything loud unless it sounds like a shotgun.

Terry Lyons [1987]

Terry Lyons, b. 1949, began his career in fly fishing organizations 1979. He began his service as a director and officer in the Red Cedar Fly Fishers. He is currently serving his second term as president of that organization. Terry is a founding director of the Anglers of the Au Sable.

On a regional level, Terry has served as a director of the Great Lakes Council, Federation of Fly Fishers since 1986. He served as the Conservation Chairman from 1986-89. He has also held the offices of president and vice president of the Great Lakes Council, and is currently serving as the council's secretary.

On a national level Terry served as a director of the Federation of Fly Fishers from 1988-1997. During the years 1989-91 Terry was a member of the Federations Executive Board and served as the chair of the Conservation Policies Committee. He next held the position of vice president of Conservation and was a member of the Executive Committee of the Federation of Fly Fishers from 1991 to 1995. He is serving currently his second term as a senior advisor for the FFF. For his sustained efforts with the FERC project, Terry was the recipient, along with four others (including fellow Anglers directors Tom Baird and Jim Schramm), of the 1994 Riverkeeper of the Year Award. Terry is also the 1995 Federation of Fly Fishers Man of the Year.

In addition to these volunteer activities Terry has been employed as a master electrician since 1979. He is a veteran of the United States Marine Corps. He has two grown sons and lives with his wife and fishing partner Gina, in Leslie, Michigan and at a cottage along Big Creek in Lovells Township.

Editor's Note: We wish to recognize and thank Gina Lyons for her many years of service to the Anglers in a variety of capacities.

Tess Nelkie [1992]

Tess Nelkie, b. 1954, is a teacher/consultant for the hearing impaired with the Iosco Regional Educational Service Agency. She has worked in this capacity for 26 years. Along with her husband, Gary, Tess is co-owner/operator of Nordic Sports, an outdoor specialty store in East Tawas, Michigan. Her interests, outside of work, include adventure and solitude. She prefers to fish where others aren't.

Tess has been on the Anglers of the Au Sable Board for the past ten years. She chairs the annual "Au Sable River Words" writing contest, which is offered to high school students who live along the Au Sable riverine. In addition, Tess is an active board member of the Corsair Trail Council, a nonprofit group that maintains 56 km. of cross-country skiing and hiking trails in Iosco County. She is involved, as well, with the production of a Traditional Music concert series, now in its ninth season, in her local community. Tess is a past board member of the Michigan Wildlife Habitat Foundation. She holds a bachelor's degree in Deaf Education- Eastern Michigan University and a master's degree in Education - Marygrove College.

John Novak [1992]

John Novak, b. 1945, is a master tool and die maker at Visteon's Ypsilanti plant, where he has been employed for the last 16 years. He has been a fisherman his entire life and a fly fisher for the last 25 years. John has been an active member of the Anglers of the Au Sable for the last 13 years and has served as a director for the last 10years. Since 1998, he has served as secretary and on the Executive Board. He is also a member of the Federation of Fly Fishers and Trout Unlimited.

John's brother Al introduced John to fly fishing in the early 70's. His first experience was catching bass & pan fish on a small private lake on the west side of the state. John has never outgrown the love of catching warm water species. When the aluminum hatch starts you cane find him on Wakely Lake. John has enjoys teaching others to fly fish. He has worked with a local Boy Scout Troop teaching fly fishing & tying techniques to the members of the Troop He has also worked with the University of Michigan fly fishing club to teach the fundamentals of flyfishing, which have included student from the university's football team. John has also given fly tying lessons at Visteon's Learning Center, where employees can learn various skills to enhance their quality of life. John is an avid fan of fly fishing in saltwater. He has caught a variety of species including tarpon, black tipped shark, redfish and snook, just to name a few.

Making their home in Ypsilanti, John and his wife Connie have a cabin on the banks of the Au Sable's Holy Water. They plan to retire soon and to have a second home in Florida for the winter months. .John and Connie have two grown children and three grand children whom John teaches to fly fish and appreciate the outdoors.

Bruce Pregler [2006]

Bruce Pregler, b 1959, is a partner in the law firm of Facca, Richter & Pregler, P.C., where he specializes in construction & real estate litigation for the last 21 years. Bruce earned a BA from Michigan State University (1982) and a JD from Detroit College of Law (1986). He is a former law clerk to the Hon. Frederick Ziem - Oakland Circuit Court, past Chairman of the Board for the Construction Association of Michigan, and current Board Member of the Construction Industry Advancement Fund.

Bruce grew up in a fishing family spending summers at his grandparent's cabin in northern Minnesota pursuing bass and northerns. The family moved all over the country eventually ending up in Michigan. Bruce picked up fly fishing over the years and became so enamored with it that he looked for a place of his own on a trout stream. He was fortunate enough to come upon fly tier extraordinaire Chauncy Lively's (former Anglers Board Member) cabin and purchased it. Bruce, his wife Debra & daughter Anna have been on the North Branch since 2000 enjoying the peace and tranquility of the river.

Bruce has been actively volunteering time protecting the Au Sable River and its watershed. He was co-counsel in the Anglers lawsuit to halt oil and gas drilling by Merit Energy along the Mason Tract. He has also volunteered time speaking about the Mason Tract & Kolke Creek litigation and seeking grant money to fund these litigations. Bruce is a Board member of the AuSable North Branch Area Association, Board Member of the AuSable Manistee Action Council, Board Member of the CAM Sporting Clay Committee, & FFF Member. The annual river clean up organized by Rusty Gates and the Anglers has become a family tradition for Bruce, wife Debra and daughter Anna.

Joe Reed [2007] (interim director)

Joe Reed, b 1946, is a self employed general contractor. Joe earned his MA in Administrative Education from the University of Michigan and a BA in Business Administration and Economics from Albion College, where he is in the Football Hall of Fame. The Reed family is a fly fishing family. Joe's wife of 38 years, Lynn, teaches 4th grade in Grosse Pointe, where they live with their two golden retrievers, Jake and Ben.

Don Sawyer [1998]

Don Sawyer, b. 1936, became interested in fly fishing 25 years ago and has been an avid fly angler ever since. He joined the Red Cedar Fly Fishers in 1980, became vice president two years later, was editor of the club newsletter, and served as president in 1983-84. He has been on the Board of Directors of the Great Lakes Council of the Federation of Fly Fishers for the past 12 years and during that time held offices of Secretary and President. He was also chair of the annual GLC Summer Conclave in 1987 and the GLC Fly Fishing Conference June 2000. He was instrumental in organizing "Caught on the Fly: Fly Fishing Traditions in Michigan" exhibited at the Michigan State University Museum in 1998. Don was elected National FFF Director for four years and served as Executive Vice President of Membership 1995-96. In recognition of his efforts, Don received the 1995 GLC Presidents Award, the FFF Presidents Pin in 1996, and the 1999 GLC Achievement Award. Don was elected to the Anglers of the Au Sable Board of Directors in 1999 and is now in his third term.

Professionally, Don is a veterinary anesthesiologist and in 1997 became Professor Emeritus at Michigan State University. He was a member of the faculty of the MSU College of veterinary medicine for 28 years. During his last 11 years in the college, he was Coordinator of CVM Outreach in addition to his role as a clinician and teacher. In this role, he was responsible for continuing education programs and alumni affairs and was directly involved with college fund raising efforts. He is recipient of the MSU-CVM Distinguished Veterinary Alumnus Award, the Michigan Veterinary Medical Association Award of Appreciation, the MSU Distinguished Alumni Award, and the American Veterinary Medical Association Veterinarian of the Year Award. He is founder and President of the International Association of Fly Fishing Veterinarians, Inc. This is an organization that hosts veterinary continuing education programs at fly fishing destinations. Don and his wife Judy have been married 40 years and have 3 children and 5 grand children. They live in Okemos, Michigan and Tucson, Arizona.

Dean Schmitt [1996]

Dean Schmitt, b. 1954, owns and operates a commercial floor covering firm in Toledo, where he lives with his wife, Sally, and their two sons. He was raised in the outdoors and specifically on fishing since he could walk. With his grandparents owning a place in Canada and his parents having a cabin on the St. Marys River, fishing was the Schmitt's family vacation for many years.

Dean's love for the outdoors carried into higher education where he majored in environmental life sciences. He is an active member and sponsor of Ducks Unlimited and the Ruffed Grouse Society. He is also a life member in both Trout Unlimited and the Federation of Fly Fishing. However, Dean views his membership and role as a director in the Anglers as his most important environmental activity. Dean was instrumental in raising significant funds through the sale of angler-themed decorative carpets that his business donated to the Anglers.

He has also participated in the organization of the Annual River Clean-Up effort for the past six years. The mutual admiration and devotion that the Anglers directors share for the Au Sable is cherished. Dean look forward to spending many years at the family cabin on the banks of the South Branch, protecting the resource that we all love so much.

James Schramm [1987]

Jim Schramm, b. 1944, is a founding board member of the Anglers of the Au Sable, the president of the Great Lakes Council of the Federation of Fly Fishers, and the coordinator and legal counsel for the Michigan Hydro Relicensing Coalition.

Jim has been an attorney for 16 years, practicing in Lansing, Hastings, and now in Pentwater, Michigan. He has degrees from The Thomas Cooley Law School (J.D.), the University of Wisconsin (M.A.), and Michigan State University (B.A.).

Prior to his career as an attorney, Jim, upon graduation from MSU, entered the Army as a 2nd Lieutenant and served with distinction for over twenty years, retiring in 1984 as a Lieutenant Colonel. His service included tours of duty in Vietnam, Korea, and Germany, and in many stateside posts. During his service, Jim received numerous citations including the Bronze Star for Valor while serving in Vietnam. He was also a graduate of the Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.

Jim's service to the environment, trout, and rivers includes being a member of many committees and boards. He has been a member of the Governor's Camp Grayling Advisory Committee and the DNR's Blue Ribbon Trout Stream Committee. He is presently a member of the DNR's Lake Michigan Advisory Committee and the DNR's Fishing Regulations Review Committee, and is a current director of the Federation of Fly Fishers, the Pere Marquette Watershed Council, the West Michigan Hacklers, and the Anglers of the Au Sable. He is also the Legal Counsel for the Federation of Fly Fishers.

Jim was instrumental in forming the Hydro Coalition which includes the Anglers, Michigan United Conservation Clubs, Michigan Council of TU, and the Great Lakes Council of FFF. This Coalition has been highly successful and precedent-setting in the hydro relicensing process in the State of Michigan.

He has received many awards in recognition of his service and achievements in conservation and environmental work from FFF, TU, Anglers, DNR, and the US Forest Service. For his sustained efforts with the FERC project, Jim was the recipient, along with four others (including fellow Anglers directors Tom Baird and Terry Lyons), of the 1994 Riverkeeper of the Year Award. Jim was also awarded the 1996 Riverkeeper of the Year for his continued and successful work in hydropower reform in Michigan, as well as his dedicated legal service to the Anglers and the FFF. (See Ed McGlinn's Riverwatch On-Line article regarding this award.) Jim was also the 1991 Federation of Fly Fishers Man of the Year.

Jim Shiflett [2005]

Jim Shiflett, b. 1954 . Jim is the Risk Manager of Michigan Farm Bureau Family of Companies. He has been an avid hunter and fisherman for thirty plus years with emphasis on grouse and woodcock hunting and flyfishing for trout for the last ten. His hunting pursuits include elk, caribou, black bear and white- tailed deer with a bow. He also ice fishes regularly for bluegills and walleye and recently took up saltwater fly fishing.

His interest in conservation started with a Bachelors degree in biology from Olivet College having served as the Curator of the Oliver College Biological Preserve from 1975 through 1977. He has been a member of Pheasants Forever, Ducks Unlimited, Ruffed Grouse Society, Loyal Order of Dedicate Grouse Hunters and a board member of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.

He started attending river clean-ups in 2000 and became very interested in the work of Anglers of the Au Sable and the Trees for Trout Program.

Jim recently acquired a home on the North Branch of the Au Sable and spends most weekends there tying flies, doing river habitat improvement, teaching fly fishing to extended family members and guests and scouting for new grouse coverts.

John Wylie [1991]

John has been a member of the Anglers board of directors for 11 years. His has also served as a member of the board of directors of the Great Lakes Council, Federation of Fly Fishers for 24 years as well as treasurer of that organization for 14 years. He is a member of Trout Unlimited. He is also presently treasurer for the Michigan Hydro Relicensing Coalition.

Retired from the practice of General Surgery in which he was at the Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit for 18 years and in the Lansing, Michigan Area for 23 years.John is now a permanent resident on the North Branch of the Au Sable where he enjoys the river and the north woods with wife, Mary, and frequent visits by their six children and ten grand children to this river that he has been priviledged to fish for some 43 years.

Lance Weyeneth [2003]

Lance Weyeneth, b. 1961, was introduced to fly-fishing as a teenager while growing up in the agricultural community of Croswell, Michigan, near Lake Huron. During a family vacation in the mid 1990's, he was reintroduced to our sport. In 2002, Lance moved to Northern Michigan in order to be closer to these majestic rivers on a daily basis.

Professionally, Lance is a member of the Michigan and National Association of Realtors. Currently, he owns and operates his real estate marketing and appraisal business from his home. Lance has earned a number of professional designations and certifications, including the Graduate Realtor Institute (G.R.I.) and the Accredited Buyers Representative (A.B.R.). He resides near the AuSable and Manistee River headwaters, south of Gaylord.

Lance loves to hunt and fly fish and has managed more than 150 trips to our area rivers each year since 2002. Intimate knowledge of the regional watersheds has resulted in a number of opportunities for him to serve with conservation and preservation minded organizations, which have included contributions to the preservation of the Mason Tract and support for the Headwaters Land Conservancy. In addition to his directorship with the Anglers, Lance is also a board member of the Pigeon River Country Association and serves as vice president of the Headwater Chapter of Trout Unlimited. Lance's passion for our local river systems prompts him to work tirelessly to protect and preserve our areas jewels. He is most proud of his involvement with the Anglers of the AuSable.

Lance lives in Gaylord, Michigan, and is known to keep time with a certain pure-bred Golden Retriever, Drake.

Director Emeritus	Term(s)
George Alexander (dec.)	[1994 - 2000]
Ron Angove	[1987 - 1996]
Harry Barnes	[1987 - 1990]
Al Bersted	[1999 - 2003]
Ben Butts (dec.)	[1987 - 1989]
Harry Campbell	[1988 - 1994]
Bob Colson	[1987 - 1989]
Tom Cranmer	[1988 - 1993]
Roderick "Dick" Daane	[1988 - 2005]
Dan Drislane	[1987 - 2007]
Jim Enger	[1987 - 1989]
Ken Erb	[1990 - 1998]
Mike Fennell	[1987 - 1992]
Ray Geitka	[1997 - 1998]
Jay Gleason	[1989 - 2004]
Duke Grimshaw	[2001 - 2004]
Bill Halliday (dec.)	[1992 - 1997]
Dave Hilton	[1987 - 1990]
John Hitt	[1991 - 1992]
Norm Hyams	[1987 - 1994]
Pete Koper	[1989 - 1992]
Bob Linsenman	[1996-2006]
Bill Lippert (dec.)	[1987 - 1990]
Chauncy Lively (dec.)	[1987 - 2000]
Ed Marvin	[1987 - 1990]
Edward McGlinn	[1987 - 2005]
Elaine McGlinn	[1987 - 1994]
Richard McGlinn	[1987 - 1991]
John McLain	[1987 - 1991]
Gino Nacco	[1987 - 1989]
Dennis Potter	[1987 - 1988] [1995 - 1996]
Floyd Sendmeyer	[1987 - 1989]
Dorothy Schramm	[1993 - 2002]
Bill Sodeman	[2001 - 2003]
Pete Treboldi	[1987 - 1989]
Charlie Weaver	[1993 - 1999]
Stan Yolkiewicz	[1993 - 1997]

Selected Directors Emeritus Biographies

Roderick Daane [1988-2005]

Dick Daane, b. 1931, is chief legal counsel for the Anglers and has served on the Executive Board for the past 10 years. Before he semi-retired in 1997, he was Of Counsel at the Ann Arbor firm Hooper, Hathaway, Price, Beuche & Wallace P.C. (1991-1997). Before that Dick served 16 years as General Counsel at the University of Michigan in addition to several posts with Detroit and Ann Arbor law firms. During his distinguished 40-year career in the legal profession, Dick has practiced in numerous specialties, including Civil Litigation, Education Law, State and Federal Constitutional Law, "Sunshine Laws" (Freedom Of Information Act, Open Meetings Act), Construction Law, State and Federal Civil Rights Legislation, and Environmental Law. He is a frequent contributor to the literature of the law of higher education and a frequent speaker and participant at seminars and other programs. He has also been a regular contributor to The Riverwatch, both for the River Law section and the annual birding issue, as well as numerous reports on Anglers projects.

Dick's focus on environmental issues and his long track record in successful litigation were two reasons for his appointment to counsel (in addition to his son, Mark) by Michigan Environmental Trust Ltd. (METL, 1993) to check the rising and expansive Antrim play natural gas exploration and production activities in Montmorency and surrounding counties by companies belonging to the Michigan Oil and Gas Association. (The Anglers were a party to this litigation, which ended with a favorable decision from the courts.) For his substantive work with METL and the Antrim suit—most of which was performed pro bono—Dick was recognized as Riverkeeper of the Year in 1995. Dick has and continues to advise the board on numerous legal issues of concern to the Anglers.

In addition to his service to the Anglers, Dick Daane has been active in numerous professional societies: member, American Bar Association (Administrative Law Section); member, House of Delegates (1986-1987); State Bar of Michigan; Washtenaw County Bar Association; National Association of College and University Attorneys (NACUA - Past President 1984-1985) Honorary Consul of the Netherlands (I 962-1970); Knight of the Order Of Orange, Nassau (1971); Au Sable Manistee Action Counsel Director (I 990-1995); National Association of College and University Attorneys Life Membership (I 997); Washtenaw County Bar Association Life Membership (I 995). Among his numerous accolades includes the National Association of College and University Attorneys Distinguished Service Award (1995). He holds a B.A., University of Michigan (1952), and a J.D., University of Michigan (1954).

Dick is an avid outdoorsman, including hunting and skiing among his hobbies in addition to flyfishing. He and his wife Mary Ann have homes in Ann Arbor and on the North Branch of the Au Sable River. They have three grown children, including Mark Daane, who is also a director of the Anglers.

[Top] [Home]

Daniel Drislane [1987-2007]

Dan Drislane, b. 1959, is an information technology and management consultant, and is president of Frontier Strategies, Inc. in Livingston, Montana. He is also a principal partner with Enterprise Agility, Inc., an international consulting firm based in Chicago. He specializes in IT strategic planning and helping organixations develop their business analyst capabilities. Prior to founding Frontier and working with Enterprise Agility, Dan served as a marketing manager at Sun Microsystems (1989-1991), and a software consultant at Digital Equipment Corporation (1982-1989). He is the author of 27 papers on information technology and professional services. As a freelance writer, he also has written on widely diverse subjects, including nine articles for The Riverwatch; wine and food; global positioning systems; geographic information systems; robotics; web-based auctioning; military battle planning; and manufacturing technology.

An avid flyfisher for 28 years, Dan was one of the original six that met in September 1986 to agree to organize the Anglers in response to widespread opposition to catch-and-release angling on the Au Sable. Since the organization's founding in January 1987, Dan has held numerous positions within the organization, including: founding secretary (1987-1988); vice president (1988-1996); chair, Membership Committee (1990-1998); chair, Au SableFunds2000 fundraising program (1994-1999), editor, Au Sable News & Notes (2 issues, 1988); booth coordinator, trade show events (1988-1998). Currently, Dan serves as Communications Director and chairs the Publication Committee. He is also interim webmaster of this website. Dan has been actively involved in the Federation of Fly Fishers. He was chair of the 1988 Great Lakes Council FFF Summer Conclave (the Anglers were the host organization). He was publicity chair of the 1997 FFF International Conclave and Exposition, held in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Dan serves as a director and vice president of the Park County Friends of the Arts and the Danforth Gallery, both located in Livingston, Montana. He has also served in several professional societies: chair, Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME), Detroit/Windsor Chapter Alliance (1993); chair, SME Chapter 254, Greater Detroit (1991); session chair, Autofact International Conference (1991-1993); assistant session chair, Autofact (1986-1989). Dan is Certified in Production and Inventory Management (CPIM) [American Production and Inventory Control Society, 1988]; and a Certified Manufacturing Engineer (CMfgE), [Society of Manufacturing Engineers, 1986, 1989, 1992]. He is a past member of Trout Unlimited (Clearwater Chapter) and the Brotherhood of the Jungle Cock. He is the recipient of the Society of Manufacturing Engineers President's Award (1992); Sun Microsystems Incentive Award (1989, 1990); and the Digital Equipment Corporation Software Services National Excellence Award (1988). Dan holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Union College (1982).

Born and raised in the foothills of the Adirondack Mountains in upstate New York, he lived in Farmington Hills, Michigan for eighteen years before moving to Emigrant, Montana in April, 2004. In addition to flyfishing, his hobbies include backpacking, birding and bird hunting.

[Top] [Home]

Jay W. Gleason [1989-2004]

Jay Gleason, b. 1949, is a Software Engineering Manager at Unisys Corporation. With Unisys since 1980, Jay is responsible for developing high speed document imaging solutions for the financial industry.

Jay was introduced to fly fishing by his grandmother in 1958, on Lake Au Sable east of Rose City. He has been tying flies and fishing the Au Sable River for 36 years, and has been an Anglers board member for the last 12 years. Among his numerous support activities, Jay chief projects with the Anglers have included the research and authoring of a successful grant proposal that produced $125,000 in federal funding for the Crawford County Road Commission to mitigate water pollution on Au Sable tributaries; and oversight of commercial canoe livery operations on the watershed.

With his 16 years of program and project management experience, Jay was tapped to launch of the Anglers strategically critical Capital Campaign in 1999.

A former longtime resident of Michigan and native of Ohio, Jay now lives in Huntersville, North Carolina with his wife, Shelly. He continues to co-own a cabin tucked away along Big Creek in Lovells Township. His hobbies include skiing, mushrooming, grouse and woodcock hunting and fly tying.

[Top] [Home]

Duke Grimshaw [2001-2004]

With over 20 years experience as a marketing professional, Duke has worked on "both sides of the desk" - as a Marketing Director for national businesses and managed a successful advertising agency. Duke has worked for Mohawk Liquor (a division of McKesson), an $86 million distributor and rectifier of spirits; Republic Automotive Parts, a $100 million automotive aftermarket parts manufacturer and distributor and Rave Computer Association a $35 million computer manufacturer and reseller.

He has managed his own advertising agency for local area businesses, providing business-to-business marketing communication services. During this time, he started an import/export business and was one of the first people to export over 90 cars to Russia. Duke has developed successful business-to-business marketing strategies and programs that have increased sales, strengthened brand identity and captured new business opportunities. He manages all aspects of marketing communication, from new product development to public relations and advertising. He has both writing and graphic design skills for print and the Internet.

Duke serves as the marketing director for Follmer Rudzewicz Advisors, Inc., a Centerprise Advisors, Inc. company, providing marketing strategies and programs for its consulting practices. He is on the Centerprise marketing committee and provides marketing consulting services for a number of Follmer Rudzewicz clients. He has been instrumental in helping businesses increase sales and assumes an active role in business development and direct sales.

Social activities and memberships include: Three-time US Men's National Curling Championship participant and Semi-finalist for 1996 Olympic Playdowns, 1997 US Men's National Championship - 5th place - Detroit Curling Club member (various committees); American Diabetes Association fundraiser (Tour de Cure); Trout Unlimited member; Anglers of the Au Sable director and communications manager; member, Federation of Fly Fishers.

Duke is a graduate of the University of Missouri School of Journalism and the University of Detroit School of Law. His hobbies include: Curling, Cycling, Golf, Reading, Fly Fishing. He lives in Grosse Pointe, Michigan with his wife, Ellen, and their daughter.

[Top] [Home

Bob Linsenman [1996-2006]

Bob Linsenman, b. 1943, has just recently handed over the reigns as editor of The Riverwatch (to fellow board member Bill Sodeman), of which he masterfully served as editor since June 1997. Bob is a literary agent and author specializing in non-fiction. He has a special emphasis on business and the outdoors fields. As agent he has seen several Fortune books rise to "best sellers." He has acted as agent for several books in the IDG Book Worldwide For Dummies: Bestselling Book Series for Beginners, including the topics: Flyfishing, Hunting, Motivation, Leadership, and Marketing. He is also responsible for bringing to publication Where the Ashes Are: The Odyssey of a Vietnamese Family by Qui C. Nguyen, Qui Du'C Nguyen, and award-winning book on life in Viet Nam. Bob extensive background in the book and software publishing industries includes posts as executive editor, Holt, Rinehart & Winston (New York), Director of New Product Development, CBS (New York), General Manager Software Development., Plato Systems, Control Data Corporation (Minneapolis).

Bob is the author of four books: Michigan Trout Streams: A Fly Anglers Guide (W.W. Norton, 1993, co-author: Steve Nevala); Great Lakes Steelhead: A Guided Tour for Fly Anglers (W.W. Norton, 1995, , co-author: Steve Nevala); River Journal: Au Sable (River Journal Series, Frank Amato Publications, 1998); and Modern Streamers for Trophy Trout: Techniques, Tactics and Patterns (W.W. Norton, 1999, co-authors: Kelly Galloup and Jerry Dennis). Two new books—the first titled, Blue Ribbon—are forthcoming in 2001. He is a contributor to numerous outdoor magazines, including Fly Fisherman, American Angler, Spring Creek Journal, Fly Fisher, Wild Steelhead & Salmon, Midwest Fly Fishing, and others.

From his chosen avocation, it is not surprising that Bob Linsenman has had a love affair with angling since childhood, first fly fishing the Au Sable on July, 26, 1953 (his 10th birthday). Since then he has fished far and wide throughout North America and the Caribbean, and in Europe. However, the Au Sable remains his favorite water, which shows eloquently in the numerous articles and editorials Bob has written for The Riverwatch, as well as his book The Au Sable River. In fact, Bob switch gears and moved back to Michigan ten years ago to be closer to the river.

When not writing about flyfishing, Bob is a guide on the Au Sable River "Big Water," where the nonnegotiable coda of the boat is: flies only, catch-and-release, no booze, no whining. He is a member of Trout Unlimited and is past president of the Twin Cities Chapter (Minneapolis/St.Paul). Bob has been a member of Anglers since 1991. He lives north of Rose City, Michigan.

[Top] [Home

Edward McGlinn [1987-2005]

Ed McGlinn, b. 1928, a retired research engineer, was, for over eight years a coeditor with his wife Judy of The Riverwatch. He has been a member of the board of the Anglers since its formation and, along with fellow directors Rusty Gates and Dan Drislane, he was one of the original six anglers who met in September 1986 to agree to organize the Anglers in response to widespread opposition to catch-and-release angling on the Au Sable. Ed has fished the Au Sable River for more than forty years, where he participated in groundbreaking fisheries research (including tagging and measurement of fish) with his fishing partner, Skip Favro. Currently, he is the editor of The Riverwatch On-Line.

At Bendix Corporation Research Labs he worked in many areas, such as systems analysis and synthesis, nuclear reactor design, computer design, and technical management. In the five years before Bendix was acquired by Allied-Signal, Ed served on the staff of the Chief Technical Officer as Corporate Director, Technology Studies, involved with many new ventures and, more importantly, alerting corporate officers to technical threats, future opportunities, and structural changes that could affect their ongoing businesses. After the acquisition, he worked for Allied Automotive as Director, Business Studies. In that position he was involved in acquisitions and divestitures, and often functioned as technical liaison to corporate headquarters.

Ed has combined his scientific knowledge, unbridled curiosity, and his penchant for disciplined and thorough research to craft some of the most in-depth and provocative articles and reports in the Anglers' 14-year history. His introspecting began in 1987 with a detailed analysis of the National Guard's proposal for the Multi-Purpose Range Complex/Heavy, an ambitious retooling of Camp Grayling's ground-to-ground and air-to-ground training capabilities. Ed's review and analysis helped the Anglers and its coalition partners respond with calls for review and litigation, beginning with an emergency letter campaign appeal to Anglers members via the document Alert: "Total Force and the Rape of the Au Sable". He was also the lead author of several Anglers critiques of the draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the same facility. Lately Ed has aimed his sights on ground water pollution research and how the trials and lessons of another army base (Fort Edward, Massachusetts) may be applied to learning more about the Guard's impact on soil and water contamination at Camp Grayling and the surrounding aquifer.

In his eight years as editor of The Riverwatch, Ed McGlinn along with his wife Judy developed the Anglers quarterly into a nationally recognized conservation journal lauded by outdoor writers and conservation professionals. Ed is also responsible for imbuing the publication—and hence the organization itself—with a sense of literary responsibility and with promoting recognition that great literary works can be effective conservation tools. As part of this effort he introduced the organization and Riverwatch readers to Michigan writers and poets such as Bob Linsenman, Michael Delp and Jerry Dennis, as well as world renown authors such as Jim Harrison, Tom McGuane and Dan Gerber. In addition to his own line drawings of diverse subjects such as the kingfisher (the mascot of The Riverwatch), trout and other birds, Ed introduced us to obscure and well known artists alike, from Wally Dombrowski's masterful sketchwork, to the brooding etchings of Ladislav Hanka, and many others. For his unrelenting quest for excellent journalism and helping to elevate The Riverwatch to a respected publication, Ed McGlinn was awarded the Riverkeeper of the Year Award for 1991.

Ed's hobbies include fly tying, drawing and reading. He and Judy live in Farmington Hills, Michigan.

Editor's Note: We wish to recognize and thank Judy McGlinn for her many years of service as coeditor of The Riverwatch.

[Top] [Home]

How Directors and Officers Are Elected

The Anglers of the Au Sable are governed by a board of directors. The by laws allow for up to 24 directors to serve each fiscal year, though it is not mandatory that this limit be maintained. Directors serve a two-year term. (Occasionally, if a director position is open, the board may appoint an interim director to serve until the next election.)

After director elections each fiscal year, the new assembly of directors elects four officers for the coming fiscal year—president, vice president, secretary and treasurer. Officers serve a one year term coinciding with the new fiscal year. By default the officers serve as members of the Executive Board. A fifth person is appointed by the board to the Executive Board, usually an attorney. The purpose of the Executive Board to govern the business of the organization and approve decisions and spending in lieu of full board approval, which may not be possible in situations requiring immediate response.

If you have an interest in serving on the board or wish to know more about any of the directors, please contact Rusty Gates at gator@freeway.net.