The Watershed Foundation announced the appointment of officers to the executive committee and the introduction of new board members for the 2024 term.
John O’Neill, an advocate for environmental stewardship, has been appointed the president of the board of directors, according to a news release from TWF. Serving alongside O’Neill, Aggie Sweeney will assume the role of vice president, contributing her expertise to support the foundation’s mission.
The executive committee will maintain continuity with Ryan Drake serving as secretary and Alex Hall as treasurer. Their commitment and dedication to The Watershed Foundation’s goals ensure the smooth operation of the organization, the release states.
In an effort to expand the depth of representation, two individuals have been appointed as at-large representatives to the executive committee. Walt Hessler of Loon Lake and Stacie Schlichtenmyer of Pike Lake will bring their perspectives to the leadership team.
Furthermore, the organization welcomes Mikie Crate to the TWF Board of Directors for her inaugural term.
The Watershed Foundation is excited about the incoming leadership and board members, confident that their diverse skills and backgrounds will contribute significantly to the continued success of the organization in preserving and enhancing the water quality of our lakes and surrounding ecosystems, according to the release.
TWF was founded in 1997 to protect and improve water quality in the upper Tippecanoe River Watershed, spanning from Crooked Lake in Whitley County to the Warsaw and Winona Lake area. During the past 26 years, TWF has worked with farmers and lake residents to implement more than 325 water quality improvement projects. In the last five years alone, these efforts have prevented more than one billion pounds of weeds and algae from growing in area lakes and streams.