Our Team

Check out the bio's of these 10 great folks below who all share a passion for everything Silver Lake!

MIKE COOK JR.
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President

     Michael (Mike) is the President of the Silver Lake Recreation Association (SLRA), and has been serving on the SLRA Board since September 2015. Mike was born and raised in the Silver Lake area, graduating from Shelby High School and an avid “duner” his entire life.
     Mike and his wife (Sarah – graduate of Hart High School) were married on Silver Lake, not far from where they now live. They have one child Levi, who attends Hart Public Schools and Mike and Sarah are also active in the Hart community. The family enjoys riding the dunes on a very regular basis and traveling throughout the U.S.

CRISTINE ORTWINE
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Vice President / Founding Board Member

     ​Cristine is the current Vice President of the Silver Lake Recreation Association, where she first started visiting the area fifteen years ago - falling in love with the dunes and the surrounding lake waters. She has been involved with the organization from the start, where her involvement started with a joint effort between herself and Dave Martel.
​     Together, they organized a  parking lot volunteer team in an effort to organize more vehicles into the existing ORV lot. Her duties included recruiting, training and scheduling volunteers to assist in parking the numerous vehicles efficiently. 
     Cristine is a local resident of the area who is dedicated to making Silver Lake a better place for everyone.  

BILL CHAPIN
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Treasurer

     Bill is a retired Builder/Recreational Organization Director and Mechanic. He has been working with land managers and legislators to create positive recreational off- road motorized riding opportunities since the mid 1970's. (You do the math!) 
     He says that he has garnered as much enjoyment creating these opportunities and events, as he has gotten from riding the great trails and dunes Michigan has to offer. Keeping it all available and safe for future generations to enjoy is his goal.

LLOYD MILLER III
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Secretary

     Lloyd joined the Board in 2022 and considers himself a “jack of all trades”. He enjoys the beauty of the Silver Lake area and loves helping people of the Dune Community.
     He and his lovely wife, Stefanie have been married since 2000, where they have 3 wonderful children; Lloyd IV "Chip" (Brittany), Will  and Celeste. The Miller family discovered the Silver Lake Sand Dunes in the summer of 2008 and instantly fell in love! They visit as often as they can, calling the dunes their “happy place”.
     Lloyd looks forward to being a part of the SLRA to fulfill its commitment in assist M-DNR when needed and make the Silver Lake Area a fun and relaxing place for the entire community.

DOUG ALLEN
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Board Member /Dune Groomer

  Doug was involved with our previous name, "SLORA" before it evolved into the SLRA. He became a board member in 2017 and started the grooming duties of the "test and tune" area on the dune flats.
He has been coming to Silver Lake for 44 years and has owned property since 1983. Silver Lake has been he and his wife's primary residence.
     Doug is a hard-core dirt biker who fell in love with the dunes and never looked back. His passion has made him want to help others see the area in the same light that he does and make their experience safe and fun.

DAVE MARTEL
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Founding Board Member

  Dave is a current board member for the Silver Lake Recreation association. He is a founding member and the original Secretary for the SLRA. David has been very active in pushing for the dune community to have a voice and be represented on issues and improvements to the Silver Lake area. David helped develop and guide the volunteer program for parking vehicles requiring vouchers at the state park.
     David is married to his lovely wife Tori and they have 4 children. His family spends almost every weekend at the Silver Lake Sand Dunes and they enjoy being a part of the dune community.

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ANDREW GEURINK
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Board Member

     Andrew also joined the SLRA board in 2019. He has been a fan of all things loud, fast and dune related since his family started going when he was a child. He has been married to his wife, Evie, for 5 years and has 2 children - Mason and Logan. Mason loves playing on the beach and the thrill of test hill, where he actually wanted to name his little brother “Dune”!
     Andrew considers the Silver Lake Recreational Area his home away from home and enjoys blasting his turbo “Grocery Getter” Tahoe across the flats and making memories with his family. He has been active and vocal in streamlining the process of getting into the dunes and making it an easy and enjoyable experience for everyone.

SCOTT BENEDICT
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Board Member

Scott Benedict, better known as Scottie B, is a third generation painter out of Ionia, MI. Scottie B fell in love with the dunes after his first trip opening weekend in 2005. After years of enjoying the dunes on quads, sxs’s, and trucks Scottie B and his wife, purchased property at Silver Lake in 2019 to become more involved with the dunes. He looks forward to working for the SLRA to preserve the dunes for future generations.

Scott Dion
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Board Member

Scott D. is a lifelong dune enthusiast and a full-time resident of the Silver Lake area for 17 years, I have dedicated myself to supporting and enhancing our community. Over the years, I have been involved with several businesses related to duning, and I helped establish the Heroes On The Dunes event. This initiative led me to co-found The Heroes Operation, where I currently serve as Vice President.
In addition to my professional and philanthropic efforts, I have volunteered for the SLOVRA and consulted with the founding members of the SLRA. My contributions include volunteering at SLRA events, such as the annual dune clean-ups.
I am thrilled to join the SLRA as a board member because I firmly believe in the organization's mission. Maintaining a positive relationship between ORV users and the DNR is crucial for protecting ORV use and enhancing the experience of dune enthusiasts. I am eager to contribute to this important work and help ensure a vibrant future for our community.

Jeffery Devito
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Board Member

Greetings from Jeff DeVito. I am so honored to be selected as a member of the Silver Lake Recreation Association. I am a native of the suburbs of Detroit (Westland). I transferred to the Grand Rapids area in 1995 as a mechanic for Northwest Airlines and have moved on to be a facility technician for the United States Postal Service. I have played in the area since 1983. My wife Carol and I purchased property in the Silver lake area 15 years ago. We are totally committed to keeping the area safe and fun for all types of motor sports. We are Jeepers and outdoor family that associate with many groups. I have always enjoyed helping with non profit groups such as the BSA, The Heroes Operation  and BMX racing. The entire extended family enjoys the area and I hope I can assist in keeping it active and safe with the SLRA.