Dr. Marc Gaden grew up in southeastern Michigan and has spent most of his professional career working to protect and improve the Great Lakes.  He serves as Communications Director and Legislative Liaison for the Great Lakes Fishery Commission, a US/Canadian agency established by treaty to improve and perpetuate the Great Lakes fishery.  He has held this position since 1995.  He has worked extensively on issues involving regional coordination of fisheries policies, invasive species, and ecosystem restoration.  Prior to joining the Great Lakes Fishery Commission secretariat, Dr. Gaden worked as a Legislative Assistant for the U.S. House of Representatives’ Great Lakes Task Force, researching, proposing, and advocating legislation of benefit to the Great Lakes region.  Dr. Gaden also worked as a Legislative Assistant and Caseworker for U.S. Congressman Dennis M. Hertel (D-MI), specializing in Great Lakes, environment, transportation, immigration, and Social Security issues.
Dr. Gaden is an adjunct assistant professor at the School of Natural Resources and Environment,  University of Michigan, and an adjunct associate professor at the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University.  He teaches courses in environmental and water policy and has written about environmental governance, Great Lakes policy, and cooperative fishery management.  Currently, he teaches the course “Global Water” at the University of Michigan.  He received a Ph.D. from the University of Michigan’s School of Natural Resources and Environment in 2007, a Master of Arts degree in United StatesForeign Policy from The American University in 1993, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and Political Science from the University of Michigan in 1991.