Last September the Institute welcomed three new members to the Board of Directors:
Ralph Grahamof Bloomfield Hills is a retired businessman and co-founder with his wife, Jeanne H. Graham, of the Clannad Foundation, which generously funds the Institute's Grassroots Support Center. Ralph has been an active Institute member since 1997, helping attract new members and grants, underwriting events featuring notable speakers, and financing and producing the video "Celebrating Historic Sleeping Bear."
Ralph, who grew up on a family farm, said the Institute's work on urban sprawl and livestock factories resonate most with him.
"Living in suburban Detroit, we see every form of excess and wrong turn and waste of land, and it's affecting smaller and smaller towns," he said. "There's not much an individual can do alone, but an organization like the Institute can help people come to grips with how it can happen otherwise."
Helen Millikenof Traverse City is widely recognized as one of Michigan's visionary conservation leaders. She and her husband, former Governor William G. Milliken, worked during his tenure from 1969 to 1983 to safeguard the state's precious natur-al resources and adopt landmark laws that protect sand dunes, wildlife, rivers, and lakes. Helen also helped establish the Pigeon River Hydrocarbon Development Plan, a model approach for dev-eloping oil and gas in a sensitive environment.
"My vision is to see MLUI be the catalyst for some really far-reaching land use programs that have never seemed to get through the political thickets," Helen said. "Not only issues that relate to natural resources, but people needs -- the whole shift of people who are moving out of urban areas and eating up open spaces because they can't find the quality of life they want.
"We need to make cities and neighborhoods more livable and to protect the environment, which gets forgotten along the way," she continued. "I feel that the leadership at MLUI is so superbly qualified to realize these much-needed directions."
Willard Wolfeof Frankfort, a retired dentist who serves on the Benzie Conservation District Board, is an avid fly fisherman dedicated to protecting Michigan's trout streams and wetlands. As a leader of Trout Unlimited he helped found the Pere Marquette Watershed Council, and chaired the committee that wrote the state's 1972 Inland Lakes and Streams Act. Most recently, he initiated the effort to restore the 1,000-acre Walkinshaw Wetlands in Oceana County, in the headwaters of the Pere Marquette.
"With the energetic talent of the Institute's young and dynamic staff, we can look forward to a positive change in citizens' attitudes and a political climate that recognizes that a healthy environment is critical to sustaining our quality of life," Will said. His goals as a board member include strengthening the Institute's coalitions with grassroots groups to enhance the success of our common interests.

Our deepest appreciation goes to outgoing board members Ted Curran, Gary Appel, Jim Ganter, and Patrick McCool.
Ted served as chairman from 1997-98, bringing renewed strength to the Institute's internal management and fundraising program. Gary, a founding board member, has been instrumental in guiding the Institute's growth and improving our effectiveness. We are very fortunate that Ted and Gary have agreed to continue as valued advisors, and that Jim remains active in the Smart Roads: Traverse City project.