Mission Statement
The Great Lakes Boating Federation is dedicated to serving recreational boaters on the Great Lakes and the inland waterways east of the Mississippi. These needs range from voicing freshwater boaters’ concerns in Washington, to providing member discounts at boating related businesses.
Unlike some national organizations, we believe that, to be truly effective, a boating organization must be willing to advance boater’s interests on a local, state, and regional level. The Federation is committed to defend boaters against any harsh and undue regulations affecting their ease and pleasure of boating. There are 4.3 million registered boaters on the Great Lakes, and the GLBF stands to give them a strong, unified voice.
The Federation is also committed to providing member discounts at the best vendors and providers of boating products and services. By partnering with businesses, we are able to provide privileges to our members while supporting the local economy.
Joining the GLBF membership supports both the organization and its cause, helping empower boaters specifically in the Great Lakes region. Boaters of the Sweetwater Seas can create a force to be reckoned with, if we act now and join together as one.
The Staff
The Great Lakes Boating Federation is comprised of a staff with an impressive collection of legal and Great Lakes Commission experience, a 25-year history of publishing boating-related articles, and above all else, a passion for sailing, fishing, and power boating on the Great Lakes. Each is dedicated to raising the boater's voice.
F. Ned Dikmen, Ph.D., Chairman
Ned Dikmen, an avid boater, created Great Lakes Boating Magazine in the mid-'80s, which addresses the needs of both recreational power and sail boaters in the Great Lakes. Dikmen has also served as president of the Chicagoland Boat Owners Association, with a membership of over 10,000 covering southern Lake Michigan. In April of 2000, Governor George Ryan of Illinois appointed Dikmen to the Great Lakes Commission, established in 1955 by Interstate Compact "to promote the orderly integrated and comprehensive development use and conservation of the water resources of the Great Lakes Basin." He introduced resolutions dealing with overdeveloped marinas and amendments to regulation plans working under the jurisdiction of water transboundary treaties addressing emergency measures dealing with water diversions.
In May of 2000, Mayor Richard Daley of Chicago appointed Dikmen to the Lake Michigan Committee to develop policies and take a leadership role in activities that benefit Lake Michigan. In September 2001, Dikmen was asked by Mayor Daley to serve on Chicago's Harbors Task Force. Additionally, Dikmen was named as advisor to the chairman of the Great Lakes Fisheries Commission, a bi-national agency overseeing the health of fisheries on the Great Lakes. In early 2003, Dikmen was asked to serve on Illinois' Terrorism Task Force. He accepted the appointment and continues to advise the State of Illinois on homeland security matters.
John D. Uelmen, Policy Advisor and General Counsel
John has been a practicing attorney in Milwaukee, Wisconsin for over 24 years and an active Great Lakes boater for over 35 years. He received his Bachelors of Arts (Honors Degree) from the University of Wisconsin - Madison in 1978 and his Juris Doctorate (cum laude) from the University of Wisconsin Law School in 1981.
As an attorney, John has represented boaters, boating groups, and boating businesses and was instrumental in forming the McKinley Anchorage and Mooring Association in Milwaukee. He has successfully litigated cases involving the rights of boaters under the Public Trust Doctrine and successfully defeated as unconstitutional proposals to impose additional fees upon boaters in the Milwaukee area. He is a member and supporter of boating groups in his community including the Milwaukee Community Sailing Center, the Milwaukee Yacht Club and the Mid America Sail and Trail Yacht Club.
Karen Malonis, Executive Director
Karen Malonis has been employed at Great Lakes Boating magazine for over twenty years. She joined the company as an office manager, was later appointed copy editor and was eventually named managing editor. She received a B.S. in Business Administration from Bryant University, Smithfield, Rhode Island. She previously was a member of the Administrative Services Department at DePaul University and also served as a manager with Market Facts, Inc., a marketing research firm.