Happy New Year! New year, new faces! The new officers for the Manitowoc County Lakes Association were announced at the final meeting of the year on December 7, 2017. We welcome them and look forward to another great year!
President Tom Ward
Vice President Dave Pozorski
Treasurer Marcia Salm
Secretary Hanna Edelglass
Tom Ward was the Department Director for the Manitowoc County Soil & Water Conservation Dept. for 32 years, retiring in 2008 to work as an Aquatic Invasive Species Coordinator for MCLA thru the end of 2017. He has also worked in County Zoning Departments and graduated from UWSP with a degree in Natural Resource Management.
Tom has a long history with MCLA. Helping to find a solution in 1997 to turn the aerators on Carstens and Weyers lake, he organized the Manitowoc County Lakes Association with a small group of conservationists and sportsman in the community. For the past 20 years, he has served an advisor to the MCLA directors.
During his employment with Manitowoc County, Tom organized shoreland restoration demonstrations on numerous lakes. He also developed a County Lakes Classification System for the County that Classified Lakes in three separate Zoning Classes based on the Lakes degree of developed shoreline. As the Soil & Water Conservation Dept. Director he persuaded the County Board to hold a public referendum to pass the first Manure Spreading Ordinance in Wisconsin that prohibited winter application of animal waste within a 1000 ft. of a lake and 300 feet of a stream; and required animal waste expansions over 500 animal units to obtain a County permit.
Tom has facilitated the development of numerous Citizen Organizations in the County such as the Friends of the Branch River, the Manitowoc County Lakes Association, Watershed monitors, and Conservation Education Inc.
Dave Pozorski is a charter member of MCLA and has published the MCLA newsletter for 20 years.
In 2017, Dave received MCLA’s Lifetime Membership Award. Dave has held the positions of President, Vice-president, Secretary and has been a leader on numerous committees. Residing near Carstens Lake, Dave has a keen interest in protecting his beloved lakes. He was a charter member, helping to form MCLA in 1997. He continues to help with installing hoses and setting up the aerators on both lakes. He has also helped with monitoring test wells for the English Lake farm tile study. Dave jumped in to help Silver Lake and serve as a chair of a committee to plan, redesign, fundraise and build an educational Silver Lake County park, a park he coined a diamond in the rough. Using the creative restoration of Silver Lake Park as a natural shoreline and habitat for aquatic organisms of the lake, Dave became a strong advocate for restoring natural shorelines of our County lakes. Over a ten-year period he raised a total of $185,000 from our community, and carried out the park plan to completion. During his terms as President, Dave worked with Fish & Game units to survey Silver Lake bottom, to create walleye spawning reefs, and helped with fish plantings at Silver and Hartlaub lakes. After serving in multiple officer positions with MCLA, Dave attended numerous meetings, representing MCLA on the Wisconsin Association of Lakes Board from 2005 to 2011; served on advisory member of the DNR’s Citizen Lakes Basin group; and represented MCLA and the State Association in development of DNR’s Strategic Plan. Most recently Dave helped during the summer with conducting Boater education at the boat launches, teaching methods to prevent the spread of invasive species. Dave was also inspirational by encouraging MCLA to apply for an Aquatic Invasive Species Education Grant starting in 2008.
Marcia Salm has been a property owner on Carstens Lake since 2011. Carstens Lake residents are a close neighborly group who share a deep concern for the health of the lake. From these residents Marcia has learned the history of the lake and how the water quality has changed over the years. By kayaking, she has experienced how invasive species are a detriment to fully enjoying water activities. Under the guidance of Brian Robley, Director of Carstens Lake, she has learned the value of maintaining the boat cleaning station and the importance of keeping the boat landing area clean. She is looking forward to using Tom Ward’s training as an Aquatic Invasive Species monitor.
Hanna Edelglass has lived locally on Lake Michigan since 2014. In an effort to connect with others and help preserve our beautiful surroundings, she began attending MCLA meetings, sending announcements and summaries of our meetings to local papers and WPR. She has two sons and a daughter, all living in the watershed area of the Great Lakes.
