Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced this week that Brad Garmon will serve as the new director of Michigan’s Office of Outdoor Recreation Industry–an office established earlier this year to build public awareness about the economic, social, and public health benefits of outdoor recreation and provide a unified voice for the diverse businesses and organizations that make up the industry.

Prior to his appointment, Garmon was the interim CEO of the Michigan Environmental Council in Lansing. Before that, he served as the council’s director of conservation and emerging issues, a role created specifically to support and build stronger alliances between outdoor recreation, economic development and natural resource stewardship.

Michigan offers more than 8 million acres of publicly accessible lands, 12,000 miles of state-designated trails, and Great Lakes, rivers and streams.