For Michelle Burke, president of the Ohio Marine Trades Association, Lake Erie boating isn’t just recreation – it’s a gateway.

“We often talk about that sense of clam and clarity that comes from being on the water, and I have seen firsthand how real and impactful that is,” said Burke. “What Ohio Sea Grant and Stone Lab do so well is connect that emotional experience with science, education, and purpose.”

Burke, who now also serves as president of the Friends of Stone Laboratory (FOSL) Board, recently reflected on the big impacts Ohio Sea Grant and Stone Lab make while looking back on her own career.

After spending 15 years at Case Western Reserve University working in higher education and healthcare program development, Burke experienced a change in the direction of her career when her husband, Joe, decided to buy a Lyman boat. Boating gave her an entirely new way of thinking about how people connect with water, she said, and the couple ultimately founded a lifestyle brand called Lyman Life.

“What started as a purchase quickly became something much bigger: a community, a lifestyle, and, ultimately, a career,” Burke said. “Today, I bring that background into my work at OMTA, where we are focused not only on supporting businesses, but on growing participation in boating, building workforce pathways, and expanding access to Ohio’s waterways.”

The Ohio Marine Trades Association is a statewide organization that provides industry leadership, fosters growth, and advocates for the boating community. It’s also a key part of the Ohio Clean Marinas Program, a partnership among Ohio Sea Grant, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, and OMTA dedicated to helping marinas be proactive in keeping the state’s water and air clean.

“Ohio Sea Grant and Stone Lab have been important partners to me both professionally and personally,” Burke said. “From an industry perspective, our relationship has been especially strong through the Clean Marinas program. It provides practical, collaborative guidance that helps marinas operate responsibly while still thriving as a business.”

“For our industry, protecting Lake Erie is essential, and programs like Clean Marinas make that possible in a real and meaningful way,” she continued.

Ohio Sea Grant, Burke said, helps translate complex information about environmental challenges into actionable knowledge. Through research, education, and direct engagement, the program helps marina operators, boaters, and industry leaders make better decisions.

“Just as importantly, they build trust,” Burke said. “When information comes from Ohio Sea Grant, it is credible, grounded in science, and communicated in a way that people can actually use.”

Meanwhile, on a personal level, Burke’s daughter first attended Stone Lab in 7th grade, and that experience changed her life, causing her to fall in love with science and Lake Erie. Today, her daughter is completing a master’s degree in Biological Sciences before continuing onto her Ph.D. at Kent State University, Burke said. She also credited Dr. Chris Winslow, director of Ohio Sea Grant and Stone Lab, for being a guiding force and mentor in her daughter’s journey.

Burke became involved with the Friends of Stone Lab several years ago, stemming from a desire to connect more deeply to the work happening on Lake Erie – as well as first-hand knowledge of how Stone Lab forms and shapes future scientists.

“As someone who came into boating later in life, I am very aware of how powerful exposure is,” she said. “You cannot aspire to something you’ve never experienced. Stone Lab creates that exposure in a way that is immersive and transformative.”

“Stepping into a leadership role as President is incredibly meaningful to me,” Burke continued. “It is an opportunity to help expand that access, to bring more people into this world, and to strengthen the connection between science, education, and industry.”

Burke said she believes that boating is a gateway to careers, to community, to mental wellness, and to a lifelong connection with our natural resources.

“For me, it all comes back to the idea that the boat is just the beginning,” Burke said. “What happens after that, the relationships, the opportunities, the sense of belonging – that’s where the real impact lies.”

Ohio Sea Grant is supported by The Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES) School of Environment and Natural Resources, Ohio State University Extension, and NOAA Sea Grant, a network of 34 Sea Grant programs nation-wide dedicated to the protection and sustainable use of marine and Great Lakes resources. Stone Laboratory is Ohio State’s island campus on Lake Erie and is the research, education, and outreach facility of Ohio Sea Grant and part of CFAES School of Environment and Natural Resources.