SAC Members

She and her husband, Mark, have owned property in Presque Isle Township for twenty years. After the 2014 Sanctuary expansion, the SAC reorganization made way for Presque Isle County to have its own representative, and she was appointed by the County Commissioners at that time.

In 2005 she retired from the Professional Faculty of Washtenaw Community College in Ann Arbor where she was a professor of Political Science. Previous part-time teaching in other Southeast Michigan community colleges followed graduate work at the University of Michigan and the University of Maine. Growing up in Maine, studying at the University of Maine, and becoming a teacher with the aid of U.S. Peace Corps training gave her a background in understanding the lakes, rivers, and Maine’s 3,478 miles of coastline on the Atlantic Ocean, as well as inspiring students to participate in their communities. More than forty years of sailing there and on the Great Lakes has provided an intimate view of maritime life in both social and scientific ways.

Since retiring she has engaged in volunteer work in many capacities: one important one has been building and testing Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROV’s) with the Shipwreck Alley and Science in the Sanctuary classes at Alpena High School and acting as a judge at the MATE competition at Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary. She has been involved with the Northeast Michigan-Great Lakes Stewardship Initiative (NEMI-GLSI). Since 2008 she has been going to Northeast India to work with teachers and students in government schools on teaching reform and classroom management using Place-Based Education models advocated by NEMI-GLSI. At the same time, she has served on the Presque Isle Township Parks and Recreation Committee, five years as the chair and the rest of the time as vice-chair or secretary and the member responsible for township trails.

Merl Melton retired from the United States Air Force in 2000 after a 33 year career that included service in Germany, Korea, and several U.S. bases. He also worked as a civilian military contractor in several locations in Southwest Asia and Africa.

Merl has been scuba diving since the late 1960’s and was first certified in 1974. He was trained and certified as an Instructor in 1979 at the Florida PADI College. He instructed scuba in Florida, Indiana, Michigan, and even Djibouti Africa where he was working for the U.S. Marine Corps. He was also the Divemaster for the Alpena County Sheriff’s Department Dive Rescue Team and an ACSD Marine Deputy.

He has been a member of the Thunder Bay Underwater Preserve Committee for over 25 years. The Committee was responsible for promoting and improving the State of Michigan Thunder Bay Underwater Preserve prior to the establishment of the Marine Sanctuary. He is currently serving as Treasurer of the TBUPC.

Melissa is a native Michigander who has a deep appreciation for the Great Lakes and the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary. She graduated from Western Michigan University and started working in the tourism industry immediately with local ski resorts and wineries. She was an Ambassador for the Kalamazoo Chamber of Commerce and worked with statewide teams to increase tourism.

Her work took her to Monterey, California where she worked at the Doubletree Hotel and Conference Center at Fisherman’s Wharf and continued hotel conference planning and tourism. She was actively involved with the Chamber of Commerce and became an Ambassador for the Monterey Peninsula. Melissa worked closely with the Monterey Bay Aquarium, in its final phase, before opening.

She married a military officer and moved often. During those years she was able to stay connected to her love of discovery by working as a Flight Attendant, Marina Leasing Manager and occasional sailing instructor. She also speaks German.

Now back at her home base in northern Michigan, Melissa enjoys snorkeling, sailing and photographing our clear fresh waters.

Dr. Donald L. Newport has devoted more than four decades of his life to work in higher education. Beginning as a parking lot attendant at Henry Ford Community College, Dearborn, Michigan from which he graduated in 1960, and progressing through presidencies at five community colleges in Nebraska, Oregon, Texas, Oklahoma, and Michigan--- Newport has developed a broad perspective of the changing role and mission of two-year colleges in urban/rural, single-campus/multi-college, small/large, and rich /poor settings. Newport was appointed to his first presidency in Nebraska at the age of 26, which has remained to this date as the youngest appointment in the history of the American community college movement. Recently, he retired from Alpena Community College as President Emeritus where a major classroom/library/theatre and activities center is named after Newport to celebrate his more than 33 years as a chief executive around the country. He currently serves on the faculty of The University of Maryland and Ferris State University specializing in issues affecting higher education.

A graduate of the University of Michigan's Ph.D. program in psychology and industrial relations with strong exposure to the community college philosophy, Newport has also traveled internationally examining the collegiate/social service systems of Japan, Great Britain, France, Germany, Austria, Italy, India, China, and South Africa and serves as a "Distinguished scholar" at several Chinese colleges/universities on higher education issues and the building of effective partnerships between the two countries.

Newport has been active at the Board level with such organizations as the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary, the Assoc. of Lifelong Learners, United Way, YMCA, Cultural Affairs Councils, Habitat International, Rotary International, Boy Scouts of America, Chamber of Commerce, Red Cross, Private Industry Council, Heritage Association, hospitals, banks, and the sport he loves ... tennis. He has received community-wide recognition in Nebraska, Oregon, Texas, Oklahoma, and Michigan for such public service and recently concluded a term as District Governor for Rotary International in Michigan.

Professionally, Newport has served as President of the President's Academy for Two­year Colleges across the United States; Chairman of the President's Advisory Council of the Association of Community College Trustees; a twice elected member of the Board of Directors of the American Association of Community Colleges(AACC); Executive Secretary of the North Central Association of Community Colleges; and member of the Master Planning Commissions for Higher Education in Wyoming, South Dakota, and Colorado while also providing policy leadership to the legislative process in Nebraska, Oregon, Texas, Oklahoma and his home state of Michigan on topics ranging from the aging process to computers to economic development to the teaching/learning process to legislative appropriations. He has served as a Gubernatorial appointee in Michigan on the Michigan Community Services Commission, the Michigan Osteopathic Medicine Advisory Board, and the Commission on Services to the Aging while also working with AACC as a Technical Consultant on workforce/economic development issues and Presentor/Counselor to prospective college presidents domestically & internationally.

Bob Krafft was born and raised on the shore of Lake Huron in Port Huron, Michigan. He began diving at the age of 14. Most of his diving experience was with the Fathom Finders dive club where they searched for ship wrecks in lower Lake Huron and the St. Clair River.

Bob attended St. Clair County Community College and was on their swim team. In 1973 he joined the Michigan State Police, working in Detroit and Lansing. Bob moved to Alpena in 1985 and retired from the MSP as the Post Commander of the Alpena Post.

Bob and his lovely wife Sue raised two children, Dr. Ryan Krafft D.O. and Kelly MacArthur, who has a Master in Biotechnology from Northwestern University. They both reside in Arkansas and each have one child.

Steve Kroll taught high school math for 31 years (28 in Rogers City and 3 in Alpena, Michigan). He has been a PADI scuba instructor for more than 35 years. Steve owned and operated a full service dive shop from 1972-2004 and a dive charter operation from 1980-2016. He has been a certified diver since the age of 15. His extensive diving experience includes many of the wrecks in the Great Lakes and hundreds of dives in various locations in the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea.

Steve has been a member or alternate on the Sanctuary Advisory Council for Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary since its inception. He also served as a member on the Marine Protected Areas Federal Advisory Council from 2012-2016. He was awarded ONMS’s volunteer of the year in 2010.

Steve enjoys being a volunteer diver for Coral Restoration in Key Largo during the few months he is there as a snowbird each year.

Ann-Marie Ruder was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan. She graduated with a double major in Physical Therapy and Special Education from Wayne State University in 1969. She was elected the first Special Education Teacher on the Detroit Federation of Teachers Union Executive Board. She represented Special Education Teachers on the Michigan Blue Print for Action Committee and testified on class size limits for low incidence Special Education classes before the United States Senate writing the section of the Education For all Handicapped Children Act pertaining to Physically and Otherwise Health Impaired (POHI) programs. She became certified in five Special Education areas, earned certification in Counseling and an Education Specialist Degree in Administration. She taught in a multiply handicapped classroom for seven years, established and maintained a High School POHI Resource room for 10 years then moved into Special Education Counseling and regular Counseling as well as teaching Science in Adult Education. After retirement in 2001 due to medical issues she had a home built in Presque Isle and for 11 years spent one week a month working with her cousin on finishing the home and decks. In 2012 they permanently moved there. Fascinated with stories about the many shipwrecks along the Lake Huron shoreline she spent many hours at the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary Maritime Heritage Center. Seeing an announcement in the paper she applied for the Education position and was designated the Alternate Education Representative in 2015. At the end of her term she applied for the Education Representative position which she now holds. She has been instrumental in bringing presentations to her area especially since the Sanctuary has expanded to include her home. Although limited by physical issues she is an avid supporter of the Sanctuary System and actively supports her cousin’s scuba diving on local shipwrecks.

Driving US 23 north to my interview at Alpena Community College in December 1986, I took notice of the frequency of bait shops and party stores, thinking, I can live here. Circumstances kept me from fishing, with friends I enjoyed tennis and golf. The most rewarding part of my position was serving as Treasurer of the Alpena Community College Foundation – an opportunity to witness the power of philanthropy and volunteerism.

The highway is now Heritage Route US 23 and Alpena the Sanctuary City. I have contributed to the community by being involved in Habitat for Humanity, Association of Lifelong Learners, Alpena Farmers’ Market, and Friends of the Aplex Courts. I write a column for the Alpena News. The dedication of people who work in education has made a difference in our community.

I grew up in Ames, Iowa and graduated from Iowa State University with degrees in Journalism and Mass Communication, Economics, and Accounting, Master of Business Administration from Lake Superior State University. I was a VISTA Volunteer – Robstown, Texas, Auditor – State of Iowa, and Controller – Alpena Community College. Retired, 2010.

Tom Rayburn is the Director of Environmental and Regulatory Affairs for the Lake Carriers’ Association. His work supports the U.S.-flag Great Lakes fleet’s programs around clean water and air, natural resource protection, mariner safety, outreach, and economic initiatives. His 30 years’ experience is in environmental and engineering consulting working for national consulting firms, the Great Lakes Commission, and U.S. Coast Guard. He has supported U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Defense, and other state and federal agency environmental programs, non-governmental organizations, and private industry. In the Great Lakes, Rayburn’s work includes aquatic invasive species research and prevention, shared waters policy and governance, navigational and environmental infrastructure, and advocacy.

He is on the board of the Great Lakes Observing System, Co-chair of the Great Lakes Dredging Team, an Alternate Commissioner for the State of Ohio on the Great Lakes Commission, a member of the Great Lakes Panel on Aquatic Nuisance Species, and an advisor to the Great Waters Research Collaborative. He has a Bachelor of Science in Geosciences from Purdue University and completed graduate work in Environmental Science and Engineering at Virginia Tech.

Patrick Labadie is a Detroit native. He dropped out of college in 1960 to take his first job as maritime historian and exhibits preparator at the Dossin Great Lakes Museum. In 1968 Patrick left Detroit and became director of the Saugatuck Marine Museum on board the retired steamer KEEWATIN. In 1973 he moved to Duluth, Minnesota to become director of the new Lake Superior Maritime Museum (average visitor count was 405,000 annually!), where he stayed until 2000. When he retired there he began developing and constructing exhibits for various museums. Patrick abandoned that business when he moved to Alpena, Michigan in 2003 and joined the staff of the new Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary, where he served as maritime historian for the next 13 years, retiring in 2016.

Aside of his paid positions, Pat was editor of Telescope newsletter at Dossin Museum from 1960 to '68, edited NorEaster at the Lake Superior Museum from 1973 to 2000, and became a founding member and first president of the Association for Great Lakes Maritime History in 1984 (for a four-year period). He has also served on the boards of the Besser Museum from 2008 to 2012, the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society from 2015 to present, and Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council since 2017.

Carol Shafto was one of the founding community members of the sanctuary, joining its advisory council in 1997 representing the Alpena City Council. Carol was very active in seeking designation of the area as the first sanctuary in fresh waters. She has held an advisory council seat for over 20 years. She also is a board member of Friends of Thunder Bay.

She says of all the things she has ever been involved in, the sanctuary is her lifetime greatest achievement and her passion. She received the National Environmental Hero award in 2001 for her work leading to the designation of Thunder Bay as a National Marine Sanctuary. She has been Volunteer of the Year, has testified in Washington DC on the reauthorization of the National Marine Sanctuaries Act, and is very involved as an advisor and volunteer.

Carol spent 24 years in service to the people of the City of Alpena as a planning commissioner (8); city council member (12) and mayor (4) before retiring from local politics. During this time she also served as president of the Michigan Municipal League, the association of 550+ Michigan cities. In March 2017, she was awarded MML’s highest individual honor, the Honorary Life Membership Award. She also has been recognized as Alpena Citizen of the Year and Zonta Woman of the Year, among many accolades.

Carol grew up in northern Michigan (Onaway). She came to Alpena at 17 to attend Alpena Community College. After graduation, she joined the US Air Force and went on to earn a degree from Oakland University and to attend both University of Michigan and Michigan State. She is a nationally certified planner (AICP) through the American Planning Association. She retired from Northeast Michigan Community Service Agency in 2017 after 38 years. She was the planning and evaluation director of the 11-county regional human service agency. She vowed to make her retirement years meaningful and continues to volunteer in the community. In addition to working with TBNMS and other organizations, she drives cancer patients to oncology appointments through Friends Together, a local cancer support entity.

Carol has two sons, Shawn and Geoffrey, and one grandson, Julian, the light of her life. She lives in the City of Alpena and vows not to become a snowbird!

RC attended Purdue University where she received her MS in Chemistry. She started her career as a research scientist for General Motors, later switching to IT Deployment Management for the GM Powertrain Division. After taking time off to raise her children, she returned to work as a community college professor teaching chemistry and math.

Now retired, she enjoys helping with the United States Naval Sea Cadet Corps on the Pride of Michigan; doing place-based education for the Oscoda, Alpena, and Alcona School districts; and having fun as a NOAA volunteer helping with students visiting the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary. RC also enjoys SCUBA diving and piloting/teaching ROV’s in Thunder Bay.

Although RC was raised as a northern Michigander, and always will be in her heart, she currently resides full-time in Oakland County, Michigan. RC’s love for the Sanctuary encouraged her to become a Sanctuary Advisory Council Alternate so that she could use her connections and expertise to help expand the reach of Thunder Bay NMS beyond northeast Michigan. Her hope is that all of Michigan will take the opportunity to experience the world class sanctuary located in northern Lake Huron.

Jim Dessenberg has served as either a member or an alternate on the council for eleven years.

Jim grew up in north central Ohio and moved to northern Michigan in 1960. He became interested in the sea in grade school reading Jacques Cousteau's “Silent World”.

Jim worked as a typesetter at The Alpena News for 41 years full time and 10 years part time. He retired from the full time position in May 2006 and one week later started working with a group at the Alpena County Library digitizing Patrick Labadie's large maritime history collection. This project lasted approximately eighteen months. Since then he has acquired and read numerous volumes on shipwrecks.

Jim has owned several sailboats over a 30-year period and enjoys being on the water. He is a lifetime member of the Alpena Power Squadron and has also formerly served as the Squadron Commander. He served as scout leader for 20+ years including several years with Sea Scouts.

In 2005, Jim attended the grand opening of the Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center where his interest in the sanctuary grew. He was so amazed at what he saw, he decided to retire the next spring and become a volunteer. Since then he has volunteered in many areas, serving as greeter, helping with the Thunder Bay Film Festival, ROV Competition and Halloween events, building a birch bark canoe and helping with artifact preservation.

Jim is looking forward to continuing to serve as a volunteer at the Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center.

Charles N. Wiesen (Chuck) is president of the Friends of Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary (FTBNMS).

Born in Flint, Mich., Wiesen went to Western Michigan and Central Michigan Universities, earning an undergraduate degree in industrial education and a master’s degree in school administration. He then spent 34 years in public school and community college leadership in a variety of roles.

Since his retirement in 2005, Chuck has been an active community volunteer. He serves as board secretary of a local credit union and the medical school and law school scholarship selection committees at the Community Foundation for Northeast Michigan (CFNEM). He and his wife, Julie, also established a CFNEM scholarship fund for students attending Alpena Community College.

First and foremost, though, Chuck enjoys his volunteer time at TBNMS. You can often find him in the artifact conservation laboratory, hosting tourist and student groups around the sanctuary, and serving as a much-in-demand guide for Alpena Shipwreck Tours. He also is a great volunteer for special annual sanctuary events, including the Thunder Bay International Film Festival, MATE ROV (underwater robotics) Great Lakes Regional Competition, July 4th Thunder Bay Maritime Festival, and Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center’s Halloween extravaganza. In recognition of the extraordinary contribution Chuck makes to the sanctuary and his leadership on behalf of the Friends of TBNMS, he was honored as the Volunteer of the Year in 2007.

When not in volunteer mode, Chuck enjoys a quiet home life along the shores of Lake Huron with his wife and their dog, Elsa.

Mike Beaulac recently retired from the Michigan Office of the Great Lakes where he oversaw a diverse portfolio of water-related projects including autonomous vehicles research, Great Lakes cruising industry, water quality monitoring networks, blue accounting and groundwater issues. He has undergraduate and graduate degrees in oceanographic technology, marine and water resource management and water quality modeling.

His 40+ years of experience includes work with the Florida Institute of Technology in the Gulf of Mexico and Bahamas, US Fish & Wildlife Service in Alaska and the Great Lakes, Kentucky Division of Water, Michigan Departments of Natural Resources, Environmental Quality, Information Technology, and in the private sector. During much of his tenure, he served as the project lead on numerous state and national projects designing and creating environmental information management and exchange systems between industry and regulatory agencies. He’s also enjoyed many years of shipboard experience conducting government and university research. Mike is now a private consultant on water-related projects.

AlDean (Al) Moe retired as Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Alpena Regional Medical (now Mid-Michigan) in 2009 after 45 years as a health care executive and is now a board member of the Friends.

Born and raised in Minnesota, he earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Health Care Administration/Management and Biology from Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota and also completed course work towards his Master’s Degree at the University of Minnesota. Al is a Fellow of the American College of Health Care Executives.

An active leader in the Alpena community, Al has served on many Boards. Currently he serves on the Friends of Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary (TBNMS) Board and is a Friends Representative on the TBNMS Sanctuary Advisory Council and was recently on the safety boat for the three Traverse City incredible paddle boarders “Stand Up For Great Lakes” awareness trek and FTBNMS fundraiser during their epic ninety mile, twenty eight hour paddle board crossing of Lake Huron from Alpena to Tobermory, Ontario.

Al serves on the Thunder Bay Community Health Services Board, the City of Alpena Compensation Board and the Alpena Area Chamber of Commerce Military Support Committee and is an active Rotarian with the Rotary Club of Alpena. He served on the Alpena Alcona/Montmorency Educational Service District for many years, was Past President and long-time board member of the Alpena Area Chamber of Commerce and Past President, and member of the Board of Directors and Campaign Chairman of United Way of Northeast Michigan. Al and his wife, Cathy were named Alpena Citizens of the Year in 2008. They have been married for fifty years and have two children and six grandchildren.

Al enjoys life in Northeast Michigan, fishing and boating in the TBNMS, and hunting.

Beach Hall sailed into the Rogers City marina for several years, liked the community, and moved there in 1992 following his retirement from General Motors.

He held a variety of personnel assignments with GM at the plant, division, and corporation levels. Starting in 2002, he served 12 years as Mayor of Rogers City. During this time he constantly advocated for the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary (TBNMS) to be expanded to include the waters off Rogers City and Presque Isle County, and was pleased it was accomplished just before he left office. In addition to being Mayor, he has been active in many Rogers City and Alpena area organizations, including being president of the Community Foundation of Northeast Michigan and the Presque Isle County Historical Museum. In addition to serving on the Friends of TBNMS board of directors, he currently serves as chair of the board for the Presque Isle District Library and on the boards of MidMichigan Medical Center-Alpena, Thunder Bay Community Health Services, and Alpena Community College Foundation.