Mark Youngquist of Kent City, Mich., will serve as chairman of the Michigan Apple Committee after being elected March 28 by the committee’s board of directors.

Michael Dietrich of Conklin, Mich., was elected vice chairman, and Damon Glei of Hillsdale, Mich., will serve as a third member of the executive committee. The vote comes as chairman Tony Blattner of Belding, Mich., ended his service on the board after nine years and three terms.

“Tony has been a wonderful chair to work with and has represented Michigan apple growers well,” says Diane Smith, executive director of the Michigan Apple Committee. “Mark, Mike and Damon will continue to serve the industry in their leadership roles, providing direction as our staff continues working toward the mission of helping Michigan apple growers be successful.”

The Michigan Apple Committee is made up of seven Michigan apple growers appointed by the governor to represent growers in five areas of the state. Terms are three years, and a board member can serve three terms.

Youngquist is a fifth-generation apple grower in Kent City. His orchard, Youngquist Farms, is 180 acres and grows about 12 varieties of apples.

Dietrich grows apples with his brother on their 500-acre farm, Leo Dietrich & Sons, in Conklin. He is a sixth-generation grower.

Glei, of Glei’s Orchards and Greenhouses in Hillsdale, farms 300 acres on his fourth-generation farm.

The Michigan Apple Committee is a grower-funded nonprofit organization devoted to marketing, education and research activities to distinguish the Michigan apple and encourage its consumption in Michigan and around the world. For information, visit www.MichiganApples.com.

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