By KEVIN WALKER
Michigan Correspondent GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — In a speech that was nothing if not political, Michigan Farm Bureau (MFB) President Wayne Wood greeted attendees of the organization’s 91st annual meeting by praising the results of last month’s election.
Wood started out by laughing a little at outgoing Gov. Jennifer Granholm’s embrace of “Meatout” day earlier this year, from which she subsequently backed away. The controversy only helped the state’s Farm Bureau organization, Wood said.
“We did get some memberships out of that,” he stated.
“It became apparent early on that there was one candidate who had maybe discovered what was really happening in Michigan, and how silently agriculture continued to build a base upon which Michigan could revive,” Wood said, about three minutes into his speech.
He gave his address Nov. 30, the first day of the four-day gathering. “Well, you all know the story. After the primary, AgriPac endorsed our Governor-elect (Rick Snyder) and it only accelerated from there,” he said.
“First, he picked Brian Calley as his running mate. He started to build a team, a team that was committed to making a change, and then it only went on from there. But since then he’s continued to build that team. That team all recognizes the importance of agriculture.”
Wood praised several of Snyder’s appointments by name, including former Lt. Gov. Dick Posthumus, who will become senior advisor to Snyder and liaison between the governor and legislature. He also praised Dan Wyant, whom he described as a “good friend.”
Wyant has accepted a position as the director of the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). The DEQ is going to become a standalone department again, after it was combined recently with the Department of Natural Resources (DNR).
Wyant, a former director of the Michigan Department of Agriculture (MDA) under Democratic and Republican governors, stands in apparent contrast to Stephen Chester, the former director of the DEQ. Chester has been much criticized by the agricultural and business communities as an “obstacle” to economic growth.
Wood also mentioned Rodney Stokes, who has agreed to serve as director of the DNR. Stokes has worked in various positions in the DNR as well as other jobs in state and city governments. Currently he serves as head of the DNR’s Office of Science and Policy.
Keith Creagh has agreed to take on the role of director of the MDA. He will replace Don Koivisto. Although Creagh now works in the private sector, for most of his career he worked at the MDA, most recently holding the position of deputy director of land use.
“He took some very, very talented people and put them in positions in his team that are going to make a huge difference for Michigan,” Wood said. “That only emphasizes the importance that Governor-elect Snyder puts in having a team put together.”
To underscore the political nature of his address, Wood played a short video highlighting the MFB’s support of Snyder and his support for the industry. After that, he introduced Snyder to the audience, who came forward to make a few brief remarks.
“First, what I’d like to do is thank you for your support during the election,” Snyder said. “It was quite a challenge.”
He told those gathered that agriculture’s success story in Michigan needs to be told and promoted more. He said agriculture in Michigan is one of the “keys” to the state’s success going forward. He extolled the virtues of positive thinking and thanked the Farm Bureau audience for giving him the chance to “share” with them again.
“You have to believe there was something landmark that happened in this election,” Wood said, once back onstage.
To see his address in its entirety online, go to www.michfb.com/annual/index |
