Strategic Plan for the Southwest Michigan Underwater Preserve Committee

GLCMS representatives Michael Chiarappa, Kristin Szylvian and James Lewis were awarded a $ 10,000 grant from the Southwest Michigan Underwater Preserve Council (SWMUP) and the John Butler Johnson 11 Memorial Fund to prepare a strategic plan that would define the mission of SWMUP and its next three years of development. The plan addressed issues of organizational structure, staffing, finances, public services and programs, and implementation strategies. A number of WMU graduate students participated in related research, fieldwork and promotional initiatives. The Michigan Maritime Museum (MMM) provided research and logistical support and a meeting place for related public programming. Szylvian was also successful in securing a grant from the John Fetzer Fund, which resulted in additional public programming, including a collaborative public field trip with members of the Sarrett Nature Center. The strategic planning document was submitted to SWMUP in mid March 1997.