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NEW CHAIRMAN, STAFF (continued from previous page) Aimé Merizon is assisting in the editorial, design, and production aspects of the Institute's publications and Web site as an associate editor. "We met Aimé when she walked into the office one day with a proofread back issue of the Great Lakes Bulletin," said Keith Schneider. "Her excellent suggestions led to improvements in the magazine. We are so impressed with her thoroughness, organizational ability, attention to detail, and creativity. Aimé is a very strong addition to the staff." Raised in Grand Rapids, Aimé was educated at Purdue University where she received a B.A. in Psychology and an A.A.S. in Mental Health Technology. She

Aimé Merizon

began her editorial career in Fort Worth, Texas, where she spent more than three years as a permissions researcher and project editor for Harcourt Brace College Publishers, the second-largest textbook publishing company in the nation. As a project editor, she collaborated with teams of authors, editors, designers, production managers, and marketing specialists. Since returning to Michigan Aimé has worked as a freelance editor and proofreader for Harcourt Brace, Traverse magazine, and other regional publications. She has published poetry and book reviews, and currently is editing a book on the Merizon family history. Aimé and her husband, Cary Ruble, live in Lake Ann.

Kelly Thayeris the project coordinator for the Transportation and Land Use Initiative. Raised in Ann Arbor and Chelsea, he received a B.A. in English and a M.A. in Journalism from the University of Michigan. While working on his graduate degree Kelly taught journalism, media law, and advertising to graduate and undergraduate students. He also wrote feature articles as a freelance writer for the Ann Arbor News. For three years in the mid-1990s, Kelly was the environmental reporter for the Wausau Daily Herald, in Wausau, Wisconsin, where he wrote about natural resources, agriculture, health, and public policy. He received three awards for his work from the Gannett Corp., which owned the paper. "The approach the Institute has developed to advance public policy is to recruit journalists and train them to be organizers," said Keith Schneider. "Kelly is top flight

Kelly Thayer

in both disciplines. He's a tireless researcher and has a deft touch as a writer. And as an organizer, he is thoughtful, listens well, and has a sure sense of how to move people toward a common goal. Kelly significantly strengthens our team." In 1996 Kelly and his wife, Carolyn Thayer, joined the U.S. Peace Corps as environmental education volunteers. They served in Tanzania, East Africa, working with children and adults to establish dozens of gardens and plant more than 35,000 tree seedlings. While in Africa Kelly mastered Swahili, taught environmental education in primary school, and founded a Peace Corps newsletter for the region. Kelly and Carolyn live in Frankfort.

Also, Anne Stanton, who joined the staff last summer as an editor (see her bio in the Summer/Fall 1998 issue of the Great Lakes Bulletin), has taken a new position as Outreach Director. She is responsible for working with the staff and the Board of Directors to raise the Institute's profile, recruit new members and donors, and expand foundation support. "Anne's background as a journalist and marketing specialist makes her well-suited for this important job," said Keith Schneider. "She has the networking and promotional skills we need to help get the word out about the Institute's accomplishments, and to strengthen our financial base."

Anne Stanton

- New Grants - The Institute received the following grants in the fourth quarter of 1998. The staff and Board of Directors wish to express our deepest appreciation to these foundations for their genuine interest in and support of our efforts on behalf of Michigan's communities. •October 15-- from the Clannad Foundation, $1,000 to support Preserve Historic Sleeping Bear, a project to restore historic farmsteads in the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. •November 24-- from the Grand Traverse Regional Community Foundation, $1,700 to support Preserve Historic Sleeping Bear. •December 15-- from the Americana Foundation,$4,000 to support Preserve Historic Sleeping Bear. •December 26-- from the Alpern Foundation, $5,000 to support the Great Lakes Bulletin and the Institute’s Web site, <www.mlui.org>.