Letter of Recomendation CMSCWD Brd Mgrs B AMayor Kronmiller and Scandia City Council Members:
Re: CMSCWD Board of Managers position
I’m writing to you to recommend Eric Boyles and Sam DiVita for
appointment to the Carnelian Marine St Croix Watershed District
(CMSCWD) Board of Managers.
I own a summer house on Big Marine Lake (BML) and have been active
related to watershed and lake health issues since I started the Big Marine
Lake Association (BMLA) in 2009 with a few neighbors. We worked closely
with the CMSCWD and quickly learned that their knowledge, grant support
funding and guidance helped the BMLA to grow and effectively manage
Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) in the lake since 2009.
My contact with Eric Boyles through the BMLA and Sam DiVita through his
environmental advocacy has convinced me that both are highly qualified to
serve as Board Managers for the CMSCWD.
Eric Boyles:
At BMLA board meetings and at smaller group sessions, Eric’s comments
have been very informative. He has a very pragmatic, ordered and well
reasoned approach to issues. Eric's management/marketing approach
based on over a 20 year career in digital communication management and
his steady and system oriented mindset has helped improve
communication at BMLA meetings and in the BMLA Newsletter that Eric
writes. From an environmental prospective, Eric also successfully
completed a three year shoreline restoration of his BML property in 2025
and received Lake Steward recognition from Minnesota Lakes and Rivers.
He also attended a meeting with three other BMLA members and two U of
M Aquatic Invasive Research Center (MAISRC) researchers on March 9th,
2026 to learn and plan specific 2026 actions related to a potential Zebra
Mussel population in BML based on inspection findings during the summer
of 2025. Eric Boyles has demonstrated excellent skills that I’m certain will
enable him to help add to the environmental, scientific and administrative
functions of the CMSCWD, so I highly recommend his selection as a
CMSCWD Board Manager.
Sam DiVita:
I first met Sam DiVita shortly after he submitted a request to the City of
Scandia related to woodland preservation permitting, especially during new
construction. Sam initially addressed the Scandia City Council in December
2024 with concerns about the loss of trees and shrubs on a lakeshore
property being developed within his neighborhood. After sharing a
communication with his neighbors, building consensus on the issues
related to preserving woodlands along the lakeshore, Sam eventually had
an opportunity to formally address the City Council with his concerns.
There was ultimately no change to current practices and regulations related
to woodland preservation within the permitting process. When we talked,
he said that the mayor of Scandia had agreed to further discuss his
concerns. Sam was encouraged to consider the issue further and perhaps
explore another approach in the future. This statement says much about
Sam’s approach, exemplified, I think, by 20 plus years of teaching and
volunteer positions. In particular, he is a long standing leader on
Community Advisory Boards for Y of the North's two family camps. In this
role, he championed programs to greatly expand outdoor wilderness
experiences for underrepresented youth and families, established
relationships with non-profit organizations to increase sustainability of
programming models, and secured grant funding to continue providing
meaningful outdoor experiences for youth. During this program
development, along with his professional advocacy work, Sam gathered
and analyzed data, addressed regulatory issues, and further developed his
strong listening skills while collaborating with a number of partners to
achieve objectives.
These accomplishments, combined with his patience, communication skills,
and creative thinking are characteristics that buttress my strong
recommendation for Sam DiVita to be selected as a CMSCWD Board
Manager.
If you have questions or need additional information, please contact me.
Michael Blehert
BMLA Board member/ AIS project specialist and BMLA President 2009 to
2022.
12970 182nd St N. Or city home. 3408 Utah Ave N
Marine, MN 55047 Mpls, MN 55427. 612 710 5638