SAC Members

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 Two year 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.

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.

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!

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.

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.