Mike Koopal is the founder and executive director of the Whitefish Lake Institute. Mike currently serves governor appointments to the Water Pollution Control Advisory Committee and the Western Montana Conservation Commission. His past service includes governor appointments to the Flathead Basin Commission, where he chaired the On-site Wastewater Treatment Committee and Technical Committee, and the Upper Columbia Conservation Commission, where he chaired the Aquatic Invasive Species Early Detection and Monitoring Committee. Mike also served on the Montana Watershed Coordination Council Board and the Whitefish Climate Action Plan Committee. Mike was a co-coordinator of the second and third editions of the Montana Lake Book. He is a past recipient of the Montana Chapter of the American Fisheries Society’s Individual Achievement Award for his outstanding contribution to the protection and enhancement of fisheries resources in Montana.