Gail Hess is the Executive Director of Ohio’s Lake Erie Commission. The Commission’s purpose is to protect Lake Erie’s natural resources, restore degraded elements of the Lake’s ecosystem and promote economic development of Ohio’s North Coast. The Commission’s major initiatives include: implementing the Lake Erie Protection & Restoration Plan, developing periodic State of the Lake Reports and Progress reports, managing the Lake Erie Protection Fund grant programs, leading the Balanced Growth Program to improve quality of life through economic growth and environmental benefits, and promoting Lake Erie awareness through such activities as the annual Coastweeks program.