Building Partnerships
Protecting Indiana's Aquatic Resources

Gary E. Whelan
MIDNR

Currently, I am the Fish Production Manager for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources - Fisheries Division, responsible for all operational aspects of the fish production system for the state, and have been in this position for 10 years.  My DNR duties also include managing the Tribal Coordination Unit for Fisheries Division and I have been handling this task for the past 2 years. 

During the past 3 years and in addition to the Fish Production and Tribal Coordination Manager duties, I have been and continue to be the co-chair of the National Fish Habitat Initiative Science and Data Committee, co-chair of the American Fisheries Society Board of Professional Certification, and chair of the Great Lakes Fishery Commission – Great Lakes Fish Health Committee.  I am also currently the President-Elect of the American Fisheries Society History Section and will President of that Section in late August 2008. 

Previously, I worked for 11 years on habitat protection issues for the MI DNR with an emphasis on the federal licensing of hydropower projects and 4.5 years as a research biologist at Michigan State University working on stream fish projects.  Overall, I have been working for MI DNR for 21 years and professionally for 25+ years. 

I have been blessed with a wonderfully diverse career that has ranged from studying parasite ecology to understanding stream functioning to working on fishway designs to analyzing hydropower impacts to managing a complex fish production system for the State of Michigan.