The Great Lakes Environmental Law Center has named Nick Schroeck as its new Executive Director. The Great Lakes Environmental Law Center is the leading public interest environmental law organization in Michigan. It was founded in 2008 to protect the world’s greatest freshwater resource and the communities that depend upon it. I had the honor of serving as the inaugural Executive Director on a volunteer basis, and am thrilled to be turning the reins over to Nick, who now takes over as the organization’s first fulltime Executive Director.
Nick is a top-notch environmental lawyer and brings considerable experience in nonprofit management and Great Lakes policy. He has previously worked with the National Wildlife Federation’s Great Lakes office and served as the Sea Grant Fellow with the Great Lakes Commission. Nick’s legal expertise ranges from water and wetlands protection to land use and transportation reform. Nick serves as an adjunct clinical professor at Wayne State University Law School, where he teaches the Environmental Law Clinic (operated in partnership with the Great Lakes Environmental Law Center). Nick is also a good friend and former student of mine – he was in my first environmental law and water law classes at Wayne State, and it’s been wonderful to see his career develop and watch his many successes in environmental protection.
When we started the Great Lakes Environmental Law Center two years ago, our goal was to create an organization that would provide exceptional legal advocacy resources to Michigan citizens, organizations, and government leaders. With a dedicated board of attorneys and environmental experts, chaired by Kathryn Loomis, and the generous support of the Erb Family Foundation, The Joyce Foundation, Wayne State University Law School, and individual donors, the organization has quickly grown from a few volunteers to become the leading public interest environmental law organization in the state. The Great Lakes Environmental Law Center was also founded on the idea that law students can and must play a significant role in shaping the future of environmental law, and I am especially proud of all of the fantastic work our students have done. Most importantly, the Great Lakes Environmental Law Center has already had many successes and victories in Great Lakes water protection, clean energy, and community health. Check out the Great Lakes Environmental Law Center’s current projects and the press release on Nick Schroeck being named Executive Director for more details. And huge congrats Nick, we’re lucky to have you.
Update: Great press coverage on Nick and the Great Lakes Environmental Law Center in this week's Metro Times and Detroit Legal News. And Gary Wilson has nice coverage at the Great Lakes Town Hall. Gary raises a point that I should have made clear as well - I will continue to be involved with the Great Lakes Environmental Law Center and will be putting even more time into this Great Lakes Law blog. Thanks for reading.