Designed to more evenly distribute the many tasks of the PLIA, and to create opportunities for member engagement, the PLIA Board has created a new committee structure. Four distinct committees now exist, the Governance Committee, Communications Committee, Science and Research Committee and the Finance Committee. Each of them is encouraging PLIA members to bring their individual expertise to the group and help PLIA achieve its ongoing mission.

            The Governance Committee, chaired by board member and attorney John Collins, will address the governing articles of the organization including bylaws, board member recruitment and insuring that PLIA is compliant with State and Federal 501(c)3 requirements.

            The Science and Research Committee will focus on sustaining and improving the lake monitoring program. Exciting new projects such as the Deep Trekker underwater ROV are part of this team’s work. Wilfred Swiecki, who has been studying Platte Lake for decades and is integrally involved in current monitoring activities, will be the committee chair.

            Keeping the membership and public in general informed about the many activities and opportunities of the PLIA will be the responsibility of the Communications Committee. This includes email messaging, website management and the production of the annual report. Membership database management is also included in the scope of this group. PLIA secretary Dr. Jerry Heiman chairs this workgroup.

            The Finance Committee, chaired by PLIA treasurer David Fuhrhop, is responsible for both the fund flow of the PLIA and insuring that our fiscal strategy allows us to meet the goals and objectives of the organization.

            This new structure will provide a framework for PLIA activities as the organization moves forward. Knowing that the membership of the PLIA represents an untapped resource of talent, each of these committees is identifying opportunities for members to participate and will be posting those on our website.