FLOW is pleased to announce that Douglas Jester has been elected to a two year term as chair of its Board of Directors. Douglas has served on the FLOW board for over 4 years.
A partner at 5 Lakes Energy, Douglas specializes in utility regulation and energy policy, research, and modeling, and brings a wealth of experience and expertise to the FLOW chairmanship.
Prior to joining 5 Lakes Energy, Douglas served as senior energy policy advisor at the Michigan Department of Energy, Labor, and Economic Growth, where he applied scientific, engineering, and economic principles to the formation and adoption of energy policies for the state of Michigan.
Douglas also served in various capacities at the Michigan Departments of Natural Resources (DNR) and Environmental Quality (DEQ) including Great Lakes ecosystem modeling, Michigan representative on the Great Lakes Fishery Commission’s Lake Erie Committee, and Sea Lamprey Control Advisory Committee, leading strategic planning and budgeting, and as chief information and technology officer. While at the DNR, he personally conceived and led the efforts to develop Michigan’s first-in-the-world automated system to issue hunting and fishing licenses for which he was recognized by the Smithsonian Museum and ComputerWorld Magazine in 1994.
Beyond his state of Michigan experience, Doug was director of government application solutions for MCI, chief technology officer and member of the Board of Automated License Systems, Inc., a multi-year consultant to Verizon where he developed the company’s Smart Grid product architecture, design and implementation plans; and managing editor of the North American Journal of Fisheries Management for the American Fisheries Society.
Douglas holds degrees from New Mexico State University and Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University. He is an adjunct faculty member at Michigan State University, and spent a sabbatical year at the Institute of Animal Resource Ecology at the University of British Columbia.
He and his wife, Colleen, long resided in East Lansing, Michigan, where he was active in the community and formerly served as mayor. They now reside adjacent to Lake Michigan near Northport.
“It is a true honor and privilege to work with Douglas as FLOW’s new chair who brings extraordinary experience and perspective to our Great Lakes work. His energy and natural resource expertise twinned with our public trust work is a natural fit as we work towards healing every arc of the water cycle. I also want to extend my deep gratitude to his predecessor, Renee Huckle Mittelstaedt, for her continued service on the board and passion for our mission and Great Lakes work,” remarked Liz Kirkwood, executive director.
Douglas is joined by the following new board officers:
Benjamin Muth, Vice Chair: Benjamin is an Ann Arbor-based attorney, and has been active with the National Wildlife Federation and City of Ann Arbor Environmental Commission. He has also conducted voter outreach and candidate education campaigns in Ohio surrounding harmful algal blooms.
Joel Evenhouse, Treasurer: A financial services professional and registered investment advisor at Betterment in Traverse City, Michigan, Joel is an outdoor enthusiast, and holds a degree in biology from Hope College.
Sarah Naperala, Secretary: Sarah has over 20 years of experience in the not-for-profit, research, technology, and education fields. She has held leadership positions at Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy (GTRLC), and currently supports nonprofits as a consultant. She holds a B.S. degree from Michigan Technology University, and resides in Traverse City, Michigan.
