Meet Erika Jensen, the First Woman To Lead Great Lakes Commission

For the first time since it was created in 1955, the Great Lakes Commission will be helmed by a woman. 

Erika Jensen was appointed Interim Executive Director of the Great Lakes Commission last month. The Commission brings together the eight states surrounding the waterways to work on issues pertinent to protecting the region and its ecosystems.

There’s “a lot opportunity to bring new ideas and perspectives to solve these complex problems that we face.” — Erika Jensen, Great Lakes Commission

Jensen says that the commission’s annual meeting next week will take place virtually.  

Click on the player above to hear Erika Jensen talk about her plans for the Great Lakes Commission.

This year’s theme for the meeting is resilience.

“We recognize that resilience touches on various aspects of our environment, our economy and our communities. That work on resilience is already underway in each of the Great Lake states and provinces. We want to help coordinate those efforts for the benefit of the entire region,” says Jensen.

The Detroit River is a good example of the many aspects of the commission’s work on opportunities for resilience.

“It’s a binational waterway between the U.S. and Canada. It’s used for navigation, transportation and recreation. It provides habitat for important fish and wildlife species and drinking water to local communities,” Jensen says.

She also points out that part of resilience means acknowledging legacy contaminants in local waterways. 

“The Detroit river area has also suffered from legacy environmental degradation, but that degradation has also led to more restoration efforts,” Jensen says.

On being the first woman in this leadership role, Jensen says she is “honored and excited to be that first female director of the commission.” She adds that with any change there’s “a lot opportunity to bring new ideas and perspectives and so I’m really looking forward to working collaboratively with all of our partners to solve these complex problems that we face and ensure that our Great Lakes remain a beneficial resource for the diversity of people and communities across the region.”