Heather Smith has been named the The Watershed Center’s new Grand Traverse Baykeeper, assuming her duties Aug. 1. Her background includes watershed outreach, water quality monitoring, community engagement and volunteer management. She was most recently with the Sacramento Tree Foundation and returned to her native roots for her new position. Smith grew up in Leelanau County and attended school in Suttons Bay.

“As a northern Michigan native educated in the Great Lakes region, I wholeheartedly believe in The Watershed Center’s mission,” Smith says. “I grew up on and in the water. The Bay and its watershed are a beautiful, unique natural resource and I am dedicated to being an advocate for its protection.”

As Baykeeper, Smith will advocate for the environmental health of the Grand Traverse Bay watershed by serving as a liaison between concerned citizens, regulatory bodies, municipalities, planners and developers; conducting outreach and education programs; providing oversight and comments on proposed projects that require permits when water quality could be affected; and monitoring area waters.

“Heather’s experience identifying water quality threats, building volunteer programs, responding to citizen concerns, and monitoring aquatic ecosystems is exactly what we were looking for in our Grand Traverse Baykeeper,” says Watershed Center Executive Director Christine Crissman.