Birkholz Institutes
Birkholz Institutes
The Birkholz Institutes bring together a small group of legislators to take a deep dive into an issue on the GLLC’s policy agenda and form a task force to lead the Caucus’ work to take coordinated regional action on the issue.
The members of the Caucus chose to name these biennial institutes in honor of the GLLC’s founder, the late Michigan Senator Patricia (Patty) Birkholz. Senator Birkholz’s vision for the GLLC was to “bring key Great Lakes lawmakers together regularly to share knowledge and hear other perspectives” for the purpose of “improving the impact and uniformity of practices established in statute.”
The 2025 Birkholz Institute focused on Emerging Contaminants: PFAS and Plastic and took place in Milwaukee, WI on June 13-14, 2025. The Fellow formed the Task Force on Emerging Contaminants. A page for the Task Force will be available soon.
2025 Birkholz Fellows
- IL Rep. Joyce Mason
- IN Rep. Pat Boy
- MI Rep. Julie Brixie
- MI Rep. Erin Byrnes
- MI Rep. Jennifer Conlin
- MI Rep. Morgan Foreman
- MI Rep. Veronica Paiz
- MI Sen. Sue Shink
- MN Rep. Sydney Jordan
- OH Rep. Elgin Rogers Jr.
- QC MNA Marie-Belle Gendron
- WI Rep. Joy Goeben
- WI Sen. Jodi Habush Sinykin
- WI Sen. André Jacque
- WI Sen. Brad Pfaff
- WI Sen. Mark Spreitzer
- WI Rep. Shelia Stubbs
- WI Rep. Sequanna Taylor
- WI Sen. Jamie Wall
Birkholz Steering Committee
- WI Representative Lisa Subeck, Chair
- IN Representative Dave Abbott
- WI Representative Deb Andraca
- IL Senator Laura Ellman
- ON MPP Jennifer French
If you have any questions, contact Jess Lienhardt at jlienhardt@csg.org.
The 2023 Birkholz Institute focused on Climate Resiliency in Great Lakes Communities. Legislators gathered in Detroit to learn about climate impacts, shoreline restoration, and flood mitigation. The Fellows then formed the Task Force on Climate Resiliency, which is currently meeting to refine policy recommendations. For more information about the Task Force, visit this page.
2023 Birkholz Fellows
- IL Senator Laura Ellman
- IN Representative Maureen Bauer
- MI Senator Joe Bellino
- MI Representative Jenn Hill
- MN Representative Athena Hollins
- MN Senator Karin Housley
- OH Representative Daniel Troy
- ON MPP Ric Bresee
- ON MPP Jennifer French
- QC MNA Joëlle Boutin
- QC MNA Désirée McGraw
- WI Representative Deb Andraca
- WI Senator Kelda Roys
2023 Birkholz Steering Committee
- IL Senator Laura Fine, Co-chair
- MN Commissioner David Senjem, Co-chair
- IN Representative David Abbott
- MI Representative Rachel Hood
- MN Senator Ann Rest
- WI Senator André Jacque, GLLC Chair
If you have any questions, contact Jess Lienhardt at jlienhardt@csg.org.
Past Institutes
2019 Birkholz Institute: Nutrient Management
2019 Birkholz Institute in Detroit, Michigan
In October 2019, the Birkholz Fellows gathered in Detroit to focus on nutrient management. They learned about proper handling of wastewater and advanced agricultural techniques. Following the Institute, the Fellows for the Task Force on Nutrient Management and developed policy recommendations.
Task Force on Lead
The precursor to the Birkholz Institutes was the Task Force on Lead in 2018. GLLC members formed a task force on lead in drinking water and developed a model policy:
Lead in Drinking Water Model Policy