MCBA Scholarship Fund History as of August, 2015

The Michigan Charter Boat Association (MCBA) scholarship came from interactions between Bill Taylor, Capt. Denny Grinold and John Robertson on productive fishing trips on Old Grin when they saw first hand the importance of MCBA, successful fishery management, and the enjoyment of fishing experiences on the Great Lakes. Great Lakes fishing experiences made why what Taylor and Robertson do, is important and tangible for the Great Lakes region.

At that time, John Robertson was the Chief of the Fisheries Division of the Department of the Department of Natural Resources. Bill Taylor was the chair of the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife at Michigan State University (MSU) and Associate Director of the Michigan Sea Grant College Program. Bill grew up on Lake Ontario where there were no fisheries, water quality was poor, and marinas were mostly small, supporting sailing or pleasure boating. He left the Great Lakes region for College in 1968, but returned to this region when he joined the MSU faculty in 1980.  Upon his return to the Great Lakes region, Bill was amazed at the development of thriving fisheries while he was gone from the basin, and immediately made the connection to a healthy fishery, and healthy coastal communities. Working with MCBA and Capt. Denny, Bill began to demonstrate the importance of an ecological intact ecosystem leading to a fisheries and the benefits that such a system provided to the local, regional and national community and its economic well- being via a production charter fishery.

By exposing students to the wonders of the Great Lakes fishery via the charter industry, Bill found that he, with help from John and Denny could discuss what the lakes and their fisheries were like, how they changed and the impact such changed made, not only ecologically but to the industry that supported the Great Lakes fisheries, and the coastal communities that these fisheries were centered from.  Given this ah-ha moment, coupled with his own personal experiences, Bill approached Capt. Denny, on a fishing trip aboard Old Grin,  about establishing an MCBA scholarship to make sure that the Fisheries and Wildlife Department undergraduate students would have exposure to the industry and better understand the tight linkage between healthy Great Lakes ecosystems, effective fishery management results in thriving marine industry and societal well- being at the local, regional and national level.  This scholarship was endorsed by the MCBA board and ultimately named after Capt. Denny who has been a leader in speaking for the Great Lakes Fisheries for MCBA and who individually has invested a great amount of energy and personal resources in making sure our citizens and students understand the importance of well managed Great Lakes fisheries and the role that the charter boat industry has in local community health and fishery management. The scholarship reflected our understanding of the power of the triad: university knowledge development, better fisheries management, and improved industry resulting in a higher and more sustainable environment and society.

As Department Chair, Bill found that students who receive the prestigious scholarship from MCBA never forget the role of the organization and their importance, thus better infusing their values in the future fisheries managers….a really important action that “keeps on paying dividends in the future.” These scholarship recipients now work as: Michigan Sea Grant Extension Educator and Extension Specialist/Program Coordinator, biologists, fishing guides, public relations professionals, medical students, public health practitioners, and current undergraduate students.