Patty Birkholz was appointed by Governor Rick Snyder in January 2011, as Director of the Office of the Great Lakes. 

Patty completed two terms in the Michigan Senate and three terms in the Michigan House of Representatives. She was chair of the Senate Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs Committee where she provided leadership on a variety of key Great Lakes issues including the adoption of the Great Lakes Water Compact, passage of state regulations for water withdrawal, and ballast water regulations.

In her new position as Director, Patty has continued to champion the Great Lakes through a broad range of activities. She is spearheading an effort by the Great Lakes states and provinces to develop a unified regional approach to battling invasive species and is a key force in efforts to prevent Asian Carp from invading the Great Lakes.