Lisa Wozniak
Co-host of 1st Friday Focus on the EnvironmentLisa Wozniak is Executive Director of the Michigan League of Conservation Voters.
I love Michigan because people who have never been here don't believe that it could possibly be this beautiful or that that Lakes could be so vast. I love Michigan because once you've been here and experienced the sugar-sand beaches and sand dunes, the forests, the rocky shores of Lake Superior and the incredible beauty of the Keewenaw Peninsula, the endless and perfect expanse of Lake Michigan while the sun is setting, you wonder why you've ever been anywhere else. And, I love Michigan because I always believed, as a kid growing up in the Mediterranean, that all seas were salty. Not this one.
Lisa comes to the Michigan League of Conservation Voters with a long history in both the environmental and political worlds. Between 1996 and 2005, Lisa served as the Great Lakes Regional Director for the nationalLeagueof Conservation Voters, overseeing programs and projects in Michigan, Minnesota, Illinois, Iowa, Ohio and Wisconsin, with an enormous focus on keeping the Great Lakes Congressional caucus in check. Prior to that, Lisa cut her teeth on Lana Pollack's1994 heart-wrenching U.S. Senate campaign and on Alma Wheeler Smith's successful campaign for state Senate. Bitten by the political bug, Lisa was destined to deal with Michigan's current political challenges, which includes the world of term limits, reapportionment, and a bi-partisan log-jam.
Lisa is adept at working with a broad array of people and organizations and brings a strategic vantage point to almost any discussion. Although she may deny her expertise (and the years behind her), Lisa is thought of as a key leader within the conservation community in Michigan. With degrees in French and History of Art, Education and Social Work--all from the University of Michigan--Lisa's strong interdisciplinary background clearly influences Michigan LCV's approach to problem solving, collaborative campaigns, and political change.
Many may consider Lisa an extravert, but a deep, dark secret is that Lisa recharges by being alone! Give her a good book, time to tend to the garden or do yoga, a run with her dog, and Lisa is good to go.... peaceful, calm, measured, attentive. And, meshed between the politics and the garden is Lisa's beautiful family: husband Kenny, hip young sons Zachariah and Benjamin, and lovely dog, Santosha.
Lisa serves on the board of a number of local, state and national organizations, including the Advisory Board of Growing Hope, the fundraising committee of Friends of the Rutherford Pool, and the boards of the Michigan Environmental Council and the national League of Conservation Voters Education Fund.
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Michigan Senator Debbie Stabenow has announced she will not seek reelection in 2024, bringing an end to a long and storied political career. She joined WEMUI's David Fair and Michigan League of Conservation Voters executive director, Lisa Wozniak, for a conversation on what environmental goals she wants to accomplish in her last two years. -
Michigan Senator Debbie Stabenow has announced she will not seek reelection in 2024, bringing an end to a long and storied political career. She joined WEMUI's David Fair and Michigan League of Conservation Voters executive director, Lisa Wozniak, for a conversation on what environmental goals she wants to accomplish in her last two years.
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As the new session in Lansing gets underway, Democrats find themselves in control of both chambers of the Legislature for the first time in 40 years. Governor Gretchen Whitmer sees that as a path forward on a number of issues. The governor joins WEMU's David Fair and Michigan League of Conservation Voters executive director, Lisa Wozniak, to lay out her priorities for the next two years. -
As the new session in Lansing gets underway, Democrats find themselves in control of both chambers of the Legislature for the first time in 40 years. Governor Gretchen Whitmer sees that as a path forward on a number of issues. The governor joins WEMU's David Fair and Michigan League of Conservation Voters executive director, Lisa Wozniak, to lay out her priorities for the next two years.
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When the state Legislature reconvenes in January, Democrats will be in control of both chambers for the first time in 40 years. Democrats have a laundry list of priorities in the new legislative session. We’re going to take an initial look at what environmental priorities are on that list in the final edition of 1st Friday for 2022. WEMU’s David Fair and Michigan League of Conservation Voters executive director, Lisa Wozniak, went straight to the top of the incoming leadership ladder. Detroit Democrat, Joe Tate, will discuss environmental priorities as he prepares to become the next Speaker of the House in Lansing. -
When the state Legislature reconvenes in January, Democrats will be in control of both chambers for the first time in 40 years. Democrats have a laundry list of priorities in the new legislative session. We’re going to take an initial look at what environmental priorities are on that list in the final edition of 1st Friday for 2022. WEMU’s David Fair and Michigan League of Conservation Voters executive director, Lisa Wozniak, went straight to the top of the incoming leadership ladder. Detroit Democrat, Joe Tate, will discuss environmental priorities as he prepares to become the next Speaker of the House in Lansing.
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There are many, from all political walks of life, that believe our democracy is in existential crisis. Count former State Senator Lana Pollack of Ann Arbor among them. The midterm elections may hold the long-term future of the environment in the balance. Pollack stopped by the WEMU studios to discuss democracy and environmental policy with our own David Fair and Michigan League of Conservation Voters executive director Lisa Wozniak. -
In November, Ann Arbor voters will decide the Community Climate Action ballot proposal. It's a broad plan aimed at helping the city achieve its carbon neutrality goals and set a foundation for building a city run entirely on renewable energy. But it comes with a hefty price tag. It asks voters to agree to a 20-year tax levy that, if approved, will raise about $140 million over its lifetime. WEMU's David Fair and Michigan League of Conservation Voters executive director, Lisa Wozniak, explore the proposal and its implications with Jason Frenzel. He serves as a member of the ballot proposal's steering committee.
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The Huron River has, once again, been put at risk because of a chemical spill. First it was PFAS contamination, and now it's Hexavalent Chromium. In both instances, the same Wixom-based company is responsible. Yet, the laws in Michigan do not allow for holding the company liable. That wasn't always the case. WEMU's David Fair and Michigan League of Conservation Voters executive director, Lisa Wozniak, got together with the author of Michigan's original and now-dismantled polluter pay legislation. Former Ann Arbor State Senator Lana Pollack weighed in on the need to re-institute liability laws to better protect the environment. -
As the climate crisis worsens, the drive to more quickly create sustainable, renewable energy systems is picking up steam. But there are barriers slowing things down. For example, Manchester Township recently denied a permit that would have allowed for a 159-acre solar farm. State House Minority Leader Donna Lasinski represents that part of Washtenaw County, and she shares her perspective with WEMU's David Fair and Michigan League of Conservation Voters executive director, Lisa Wozniak.
