The Michigan Lighthouse Alliance (MLA), founded in 2003, encompasses more than 50 preservation groups and lighthouse stakeholders from around the state of Michigan. The purpose of the Alliance is to advocate for the preservation of the historic aids to navigation on the Great Lakes. The MLA holds a conference every two years, and this year’s will be April 21st to 23rd in Port Huron, Michigan.

Our guest in this episode, Buzz Hoerr, is the president and co-founder of the Michigan Lighthouse Alliance. Buzz is also the founder and chair for the Harbor Beach Lighthouse Preservation Society, which has worked to preserve an 1885 lighthouse on the shore of Lake Huron. In 2015, Buzz received the Richard L.  Moehl Award for Excellence in Volunteerism from the Great Lakes Lighthouse Keepers Association.