By LILLI DWYER
Staff Writer

NORTH WEBSTER — Mark Koehler is the newest member of the Lakeland Regional Sewer District Board of Trustees, having officially joined on Nov. 15.

Mark Koehler, who was recently appointed to the Lakeland Regional Sewer District Board of Trustees and volunteers with the Barbee Lake Property Owner’s Association, enjoys boating on the lakes. He is pictured here with his young granddaughter, Imogene Oriente. Photo provided by Mark Koehler.

Koehler is originally from Blue Island, Ill., a suburb of Chicago. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire with a degree in business before taking over his father’s lumber company. Koehler eventually sold the business and worked in management positions for a few other lumber companies, as well as sales at Mannheim Auto Auction.

After Koehler retired in 2020, he and his wife Connie, a retired teacher, made the move to a home on Kuhn Lake in the Barbee chain of lakes. The couple had family in the area and, Koehler said, “a love affair with Notre Dame,” so the move was an easy choice.

Koehler recalled that since retiring, he had been seeking out volunteer opportunities. He looked into volunteering at hospitals and had already done some work with the Barbee Lake Property Owner’s Association. When a member of the Lakeland Regional Sewer Board started asking for recommendations to fill in an empty spot, Koheler’s name was put forward by a friend. After an interview process, he was accepted on to the board.

“We are the governing body that keeps the policies in place,” Koehler explained. As part of the board, he and his fellow trustees are responsible for witnessing requests from residents — to reduce or forgive a bill, for example — and voting on the action that should be taken. “It’s the board’s decision to be financially responsible.”

Koehler is filling in an existing term on the board, which will carry through until April 2025.

“Hopefully I’m a great contributor, which I plan to be, and I will run again in four years,” he said.

The Koehler family also contributes to the BLPOA each year and plans to continue doing so. One of Koehler’s responsibilities for the association regards the monthly testing of the lakes’ clarity and cleanliness, when he leads scientists from Grace College out on the water of Big Barbee to perform the tests.

“This association is very concerned about the general condition of the lake, from weed control to sewage being dumped into the lake,” Koehler explained. “Safety is also a big concern. We encourage the Department of Natural Resources to visit often and govern some of the misbehavior.”

Koehler is drawn to volunteer activities like these because, he said, “I like to keep my mind and body active, and I’m concerned about the area as well.”

Koehler has four sons and one granddaughter. When he’s not volunteering, he enjoys swimming and boating out on the lakes and working on DIY projects around his home. He also has plans to help one of his sons build a house in the next year.