At the end of February, Michigan Sea Grant will bid bon voyage to the Ann Arbor office’s long-time fiscal officer, Elysehanh Larsen.
Elyse has served in the Ann Arbor office as Michigan Sea Grant’s fiscal manager since 2001. She managed the budgeting, submission, and reporting processes for Michigan Sea Grant’s incoming and outgoing grants. She also coordinated with the director and other program managers to meet Michigan Sea Grant’s administrative needs, shepherded a host of support staff, and helped organize and conduct conferences and meetings.
“Since starting as the new director in November 2019, I have relied on Elyse’s exemplary knowledge, experience, and organizational skills to help manage our programs at Michigan Sea Grant,” says Director Tom Johengen. “It is easy to take for granted someone who knows all the right steps and seems to magically make everything happen on time. But I know that meeting all those proposal and reporting deadlines and managing those fiscal accounts takes a tremendous amount of effort and dedication.”
Elyse holds a bachelor’s degree in management and organization development from Spring Arbor University. During her tenure at Michigan Sea Grant, she led the development of the program’s administrative database, including a process for evaluating incoming funding proposals. Additionally, she oversaw the migration of the program’s research database to a web-based application.
She has played a major role in the social fabric of the Ann Arbor office as well. Retired Michigan Sea Grant Director Jim Diana appreciated Elyse’s enthusiasm for spending time with colleagues. “One of the things I instituted at Michigan Sea Grant was a regular series of social events, where we would go kayaking, boating, hiking, or a number of other things to better appreciate each other and the resources we supported,” Jim recalls. “Elyse would always remind me when it was time to schedule another event. She really liked the fun and collaboration we all had at these events, retreats, and other group activities.”
In addition to her daily work, Elyse has also deployed her fiscal management skills on behalf of several non-profit groups and committees, volunteering as treasurer for the National Working Waterfronts Network, the St. Clair Detroit River System Initiative, and MI Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation. She served on many external teams and committees, including the National Sea Grant Fiscal Officers Network, the Sea Grant Network Advisory Council, the Society of Research Administrators International, and more.
After two decades of service to Michigan Sea Grant, Elyse leaves some big shoes to fill. “She will be greatly missed and even harder to replace,” reflects Director Tom Johengen. “We owe her our deepest gratitude and send our very best wishes for a fulfilling and enjoyable next chapter in her life.”
After departing from Michigan Sea Grant, Elyse looks forward to having more time to garden and travel with her husband, especially to visit family members in France.
We thank Elyse for her many years of dedicated service and look forward to hearing about her upcoming adventures!
