Speakers Announced for Lake Michigan Day 2025
Join us on Friday, August 8, 2025 at Lake Michigan Day in Manitowoc for a day of insight and inspiration featuring keynote speakers Nancy Retana, Yesi Perez, and Steven Hunter, along with panels and lightning talks from regional leaders in conservation, climate resilience, and community action.
We are excited to share the lineup of keynote speakers, panelists, and presenters who will join us for the 12th Annual Lake Michigan Day on Friday, August 8, 2025, at the Wisconsin Maritime Museum in Manitowoc.
This year’s event will feature voices from across the Lake Michigan Basin who are advancing climate resilience, community restoration, and collaborative environmental leadership.
Meet the Keynote Speakers
Three Milwaukee-based changemakers will lead the keynote session, offering powerful perspectives at the intersection of environmental justice, wellness, and grassroots organizing:
Nancy Grimaldo Retana – Resilient Communities Program Director, Clean Wisconsin and Chair of the Milwaukee Estuary AOC CAC
Yesi Perez – Latinx creative and former Project Manager at Sixteenth Street Community Health Centers
Steven Hunter – Program Director at Nearby Nature MKE and founder of Beans & Cornbread Wellness
Panel Conversation: Community Action for Freshwater Futures
Nancy Retana, Clean Wisconsin
Jacob Boyer, ROOTS
Sam Frauenfeld, Partner and Project Coordinator, LNRP
Lightning Talks
Amber Meyer Smith, Fund for Lake Michigan – climate-focused grantmaking and the Daybreak Fund
Shanyn Viars, American Rivers – economic strategies for equitable water solutions
Coastal Resilience & Reforestation Roundtable
Jacob Fincher, Sweet Water (Southeastern Wisconsin Watershed Trust)
Jeff Lutsey, Climate Change Coalition of Door County
Lake Michigan Day highlights the opportunities and challenges facing the Great Lakes Basin, providing space for practitioners, decision-makers, and community leaders to exchange ideas and celebrate progress. The event also features the Lake Michigan Champions of Conservation Awards, recognizing individuals who have made a lasting impact in protecting Lake Michigan and its watersheds.
There is Still Time to Join Us at Lake Michigan Day to Celebrate
These awardees will be recognized in person during Lake Michigan Day 2025, a special event hosted by Lake Michigan Stakeholders that brings together conservation leaders, community members, and policymakers for a day of learning, networking, and celebration.
📅 Friday, August 8, 2025
📍 Wisconsin Maritime Museum, Manitowoc
🕣 8:30 AM – 3:00 PM
🔗 Register and learn more
We invite you to join us in celebrating these Champions—and in continuing the collective work to protect and enhance the Lake Michigan Basin for generations to come.
