MICHIGAN — Michigan Agriculture Advancement (MiAA) has named Julie Doll as Chief Executive Officer and Melissa Shaw as Engagement Coordinator.
These two new roles will significantly bolster the ability of MiAA to work to improve the social, economic, and environmental situation for Michigan’s agricultural communities.
Doll was part of the founding team for MiAA and has been dedicated to the mission from the start.
“My passion of working at the intersection of agriculture, the environment, and farmer and rural community wellbeing was shaped through childhood experiences coupled with being a Peace Corps Volunteer,” Doll said. “Visits to our family farm in Illinois showed me the beauty of a diversified dairy farm and orchard and its importance to the rural community. Working with farm families in rural Paraguay taught me the critical interconnectedness between the health of the land and the health of the farm and farm family. I am excited to bring that passion and leadership to MiAA, and work alongside Melissa, our board, and partners to help propel the forward motion of Michigan agriculture.”
Doll holds a PhD in agronomy from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and spent 13 years as an Agroecology Outreach Specialist at Michigan State University’s Kellogg Biological Station. Doll and her husband, a detective and police officer with Kalamazoo Public Safety, are raising their four daughters on a small farm in southwest Michigan.
Shaw is an innovative, experienced farmer dedicated to conservation agriculture and building better networks for Michigan producers. Bringing her in as Engagement Coordinator ensures MiAA’s deep relevance to and connection with farmers across the state.
Shaw holds a B.A. in creative writing from Saginaw Valley State University, and with her husband, farms a 4th generation, 1400-acre farm in Marlette, Michigan. They raise sugar beets, corn, soybeans, and cereal rye with a soil health-focused approach that utilizes strip-till, crop rotation, nutrient and pest management, cover crops, buffer strips, and pollinator habitat. Their farm was the 2019 recipient of The Nature Conservancy’s Conservation Innovation Award in Michigan.
“I’m thrilled to work more closely with MiAA to pair what I have implemented and learned from the farm with viable concepts that will advance Michigan agriculture to be a dynamic and enduring industry for generations to come,” says Shaw.
Michigan Agriculture Advancement (MiAA) – founded in 2020 – works for agricultural systems that prioritize farm resiliency, farmer and rural community wellbeing, food value, and positive environmental outcomes. To learn more and sign up for MiAA’s newsletter, visit: www.miagadvance.org.
— Michigan Agriculture Advancement