Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s recent appointments to state boards and commissions include county Farm Bureau members Matt Holysz (Kalamazoo), Ned Wyse (Hillsdale), Dave Rupprecht (Tuscola), and Gwyn Lewis (St. Clair).
Michigan Corn Marketing Program Committee
The Michigan Corn Marketing Program Committee enhances the economic position of Michigan corn growers by providing for the growth and expansion of the corn industry in Michigan through foreign and domestic market development, promotion, and research that will stimulate the demand for corn. The appointees, who will serve a term through March 2026, include:
Kalamazoo County Farm Bureau member Matt Holysz of Vicksburg is reappointed to represent district 1 growers. Holysz is a third-generation farmer who works over 1,800 acres. He currently serves as president of the committee.
Hillsdale County Farm Bureau member Ned Wyse of Camden, is reappointed to represent district 2 growers. Wyse has 47 years of farming experience and works over 600 acres.
Tuscola County Farm Bureau member Dave Rupprecht of Vassar, is reappointed to represent district 7 growers. Rupprecht is the VP of Zwerk & Sons Farms and has been with the farm since 1986. He works 7,500 acres of land and now oversees the farm’s trucking and storage operations.
Agricultural Preservation Fund Board of Directors
The Agricultural Preservation Fund Board was created to manage the distribution of grants to preserve farmland and help conserve Michigan's agricultural heritage. The appointees, who will serve a term through June 2026, include:
St. Clair County Farm Bureau member Gwyn Atkinson-Lewis, of North Street is appointed to succeed MFB President Carl Bednarski, whose term has expired. Lewis has 15 years of experience working on a fifth-generation farm and worked for several years in various roles for the House and Senate in Lansing.
Greg Thon of Kingsley (Grand Traverse County) is appointed to succeed Macomb County Farm Bureau member Ken DeCock, whose term has expired. Thon, director of business development at Harvey Milling, has over a decade of experience in various positions within the agricultural industry, including owning and operating his own farm in Northern Michigan.
Dr. Mary Heidemann of Rogers City (Presque Isle County), is appointed to succeed Berrien County Farm Bureau member Margaret Kohring, whose term has expired. Heidemann is a regional planner for the Eastern Upper Peninsula Planning Commission. She has served a variety of roles in the agricultural land-use space, as well as in the field of historical preservation.
Brian Bourdages of Traverse City (Grand Traverse County), is reappointed and is a self-employed farmland protection consultant. He also has a decade of experience in a previous role as the farmland program manager at Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy.
Remy Long of Manchester (Washtenaw County), is appointed to succeed Jonathan Jarosz, whose term has expired. Long is the deputy manager of Natural Area Preservation, Land Acquisition & Sustainability for the City of Ann Arbor.
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