Governor Appoints Two Michigan Tech Deans to Wind Council

Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm has appointed two Michigan Technological University deans to the Great Lakes Wind Council. They are Margaret Gale, dean of Michigan Tech's School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science, and Leonard Bohmann, associate dean of academic affairs in the College of Engineering.

The Great Lakes Wind Council is an advisory group within the Michigan Department of Energy, Labor, and Economic Growth. It provides a public forum to begin to identify where in the Great Lakes wind energy systems might be prudently sited. It was created by executive order of the Governor in February 2009.

"I'm thrilled to have the opportunity to play a role in the future of wind energy in Michigan," said Gale. "It’s an exciting time to be part of renewable energy planning."

Bohmann said he is extremely pleased about the appointment too. "This council is part of the Governor's initiative to increase renewables, both as a source of energy and as a source of economic growth," he observed. "I support her efforts, and I think our work on the Council will greatly increase wind energy production in Michigan."

Two other new appointments to the Wind Council were Arnold Boezaart, interim director of the Michigan Alternative and Renewable Energy Center at Grand Valley State University, and Wilfred Cwikiel, principal of Harbor Springs Middle School.

Michigan Technological University is a public research university founded in 1885 in Houghton, Michigan, and is home to more than 7,000 students from 55 countries around the world. Consistently ranked among the best universities in the country for return on investment, Michigan’s flagship technological university offers more than 120 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in science and technology, engineering, computing, forestry, business and economics, health professions, humanities, mathematics, social sciences, and the arts. The rural campus is situated just miles from Lake Superior in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, offering year-round opportunities for outdoor adventure.