GLLC officers and members of the Executive Committee are elected for terms of two years. Elections take place at the GLLC Annual Meeting in even-numbered years. Past chairs and the chairs of any committees or task forces serve as ex-officio members of the Executive Committee.
GLLC Officers
Senator André Jacque, Wisconsin
Chair
Sen. Jacque is serving his first term as chair after leading the GLLC’s Task Force on Nutrient Management. Sen. Jacque has been a member of the GLLC since 2017, served on the Birkholz Institute Steering Committee in 2019, and participated in the institute as a Birkholz Fellow.
Senator Laura Fine, Illinois
Vice Chair
Sen. Fine served as Illinois’ elected representative on the Executive Committee prior to being elected vice chair.
Members of the Executive Committee
Representative Sonya Harper
Executive Committee Member Representing Illinois
Rep. Harper is serving her second term as a member of the GLLC’s Executive Committee. She has been a member of the GLLC since 2016.
Representative David Abbott
Executive Committee Member Representing Indiana
Rep. Abbott is serving his first term on the Executive Committee. In 2019, he was part of the inaugural class of Birkholz Fellows and served on the GLLC’s Task Force on Nutrient Management.
Representative Rachel Hood
Executive Committee Member Representing Michigan
Rep. Hood is serving her first term as a member of the GLLC’s Executive Committee after serving on the Task Force on Nutrient Management.
Senator Mary Kunesh
Executive Committee Member Representing Minnesota
Senator Kunesh is serving her first term on the Executive Committee.
Senator Mark Walczyk
Executive Committee Member Representing New York
Senator Walczyk is serving his second term representing New York on the Executive Committee. He was a member of the Task Force on Nutrient Management.
Senator Theresa Gavarone
Executive Committee Member Representing Ohio
Senator Gavarone is serving her first term on the Executive Committee.
MPP Jennifer French
Executive Committee Member Representing Ontario
MPP French has been a GLLC member since 2018 and is serving her third term on the Executive Committee. A member of the inaugural class of Birkholz Fellows, MPP French served on the Task Force on Nutrient Management and previously served on the Task Force on Lead.
Senator Daniel Laughlin
Executive Committee Member Representing Pennsylvania
Senator Laughlin has been a member of the GLLC since 2018.
MNA Joëlle Boutin
Executive Committee Member Representing Québec
MNA Boutin is serving her first term on the Executive Committee.
Representative Lisa Subeck
Executive Committee Member Representing Wisconsin
Representative Subeck is serving her first term on the Executive Committee. She was a 2019 Birkholz Fellow and was on the Task Force on Nutrient Management.
Ex Officio Members
Representative Robyn Gabel, Illinois
Past Chair
Rep. Gabel has been a GLLC leader since first being elected to the Executive Committee in 2012. She served as chair from 2021-2022 and vice chair in 2019-2020. Rep. Gabel was also a member of the GLLC’s Task Force on Lead.
Senator Ed Charbonneau, Indiana
Past Chair
Sen. Charbonneau served as chair in 2019-2020. A GLLC member since 2012, he served on the GLLC’s Task Force on Lead and the Task Force on Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Appreciation Day.
Senator Ann Rest, Minnesota
Past Chair
Sen. Rest was the first chair of the Caucus to be elected by the members following the adoption of rules in 2011. She served two terms from 2013-2016. Sen. Rest was a member of the GLLC’s Task Force on Lead and served on the Birkholz Institute Steering Committee in 2019.
Commissioner David Senjem, Minnesota
Birkholz Institute Steering Committee
Former State Senator and current County Commissioner Senjem serves as the co-chair of the Birkholz Institute Steering Committee.
Senator Laura Ellman, Illinois
Chair, Task Force on Climate Resiliency
Sen. Ellman is a 2023 Birkholz Fellow and leads the 2023-24 Task Force on Climate Resiliency.