To strengthen the collective Great Lakes management effort by providing regional leadership, generating consensus on regional priorities among diverse interests and building partnerships for decisive regional action.
Partnership is about building bridges rather than empires.
In 1997, virtually every program and project initiative found the Commission in partnership with other agencies and organizations, sharing resources and expertise, and publicizing and applying results to benefit the Great Lakes and those who rely upon them for their environmental well-being, economic security and quality of life. And advocacy, of course, is all about making a difference. More than ever before, the U.S. Congress and, increasingly, the Canadian Parliament, look to the Commission for an eight-state perspective on domestic and binational public policy issues. With strong partnerships and a cohesive Great Lakes community behind it, the Great Lakes Commission has never been better positioned to represent the region's views with authority and impact. Advocating the region's interests The Commission's annual Great Lakes Day in Washington was the venue for releasing a policy position on legislative and appropriations priorities for the 105th Congress.