The role of the Ohio Lake Erie Commission is to preserve Lake Erie’s natural resources, to protect the quality of its waters and ecosystem, and to promote economic development of the region by ensuring the coordination of policies and programs of state government pertaining to water quality, toxic substances, and coastal resource management. The Commission also oversees the management of the Lake Erie Protection Fund.

Commissioners

The Commission is comprised of the directors of six state agencies including the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, and the departments of Natural Resources, Health, Agriculture, Transportation, and Development. There are five additional Commission members appointed by the governor and two board members of the Great Lakes Protection Fund who serve as ex-officio members of the Commission.

     • Anne Vogel, Director, Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (Chair)

     • Mary Mertz, Director, Ohio Department of Natural Resources (Secretary)

     • Jack Marchbanks, Director, Ohio Department of Transportation

     • Lydia Mihalik, Director, Ohio Department of Development

     • Bruce T. Vanderhoff, M.D., Director, Ohio Department of Health

     • Brian Baldridge, Director, Ohio Department of Agriculture

     • Jim Stouffer, President and CEO, Catawba Cleveland Development

     • Bill Wolf, retired

     • Crystal Davis, Vice President for Policy and Strategic Engagement, Alliance for the Great Lakes

     • Danielle Giannantonio, Legislative Affairs Manager, Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District

     • Diane Miller, Vice President of Government Relations, University of Toledo

     • Richard Hylant, Ex-Officio, President, Hylant

     • Kate Bartter, Ex-Officio, Director, Sustainability Institute, The Ohio State University

Staff

The Ohio Lake Erie Commission staff advises the Governor and the Commission on the development, implementation, and coordination of Lake Erie programs and policies; provides representation of the interests of Ohio in regional, national, and international forums pertaining to the resources of the Great Lakes; assists in the implementation of the Coastal Zone Management Program and the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative; facilitates compliance with the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement and the Great Lakes Toxic Substances Control Agreement; and manages the distribution of money from the Lake Erie Protection Fund.

     • Joy Mulinex, Executive Director

     • Sandra Kosek-Sills PhD, Environmental Specialist 

     • Lynn Garrity, Program Administrator 

     • Nicole Mieske Knab, Environmental Communications Specialist

     • Hannah Boesinger, Northeast Ohio Areas of Concern Coordinator/Environmental Specialist

Contact Staff

ORC

Authority for the Commission is contained in ORC Sections 1506.21-1506.24.

Minutes 2022

March Meeting Minutes 
June Meeting Minutes
September Meeting Minutes 
December Meeting Minutes

Special Presentations 
March: Travis Hartman, ODNR-DOW, Lake Erie Fisheries Program Administrator 
March: Michelle Burke, President of Lake Erie Marine Trades Association 
March: Kelly Woodford, Finding Joy in The Journey 
December: Ohio EPA Maumee TMDL
December: Ohio Department of Agriculture H2Ohio Updates 
December: Ohio Department of Natural Resources H20hio Updates 

Minutes 2021

March Meeting Minutes 
June Meeting Minutes 
September Meeting Minutes
December Meeting Minutes

Special Presentations 
March: Lake Erie Center - Dr. Bridgeman 
March: Lake Erie Center - Dr. Weintraub 
December: Great Lakes Commission Meeting Presentation