Gale L. Arent

Gale Arent has dedicated his life to agriculture and Extension work. He began his career as owner and manager of his family farm in Watervliet before becoming a vocational agriculture and conservation teacher. He then served as 4-H youth agent in St. Joseph, Branch, Hillsdale and Kalamazoo counties and 18 years as the Kalamazoo County Extension director. Arent then became district Extension Greenhouse agent and from 1992 to 1998 MSU Southwest Region Extension and Outreach director. He then served four years as Associate MSU Extension director and three years as Director of Stakeholder Relations for MSU College of Agriculture and Natural Resource Programs until he retired in 2005. He is currently executive director of the Michigan Floriculture Growers Council, a nonprofit organization. Arent has been active in his local community as a member of the Kalamazoo Rotary Club, the Kalamazoo Red Cross board, secretary of the Kalamazoo Soil Conservation District, the Kalamazoo County Flowerfest board, the Kalamazoo Nature Center board, Kalamazoo Museum board and Binder Park Zoo board. He served as director of the Western Michigan Bedding Plant Industry Association and as the Woldumar Nature Center director. He currently serves on the Scenic Michigan board, the Great Lakes Red Cross Public Support Committee and the DeWitt District Library board. Additionally, Arent has chaired many committees, presented at numerous conferences and provided oversight to writing the 150-year history of the MSU College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. Arent has been honored with many awards including the Michigan Distinguished Service to 4-H Award, the MSU Distinguished Faculty Award and the National Association of County Agricultural Agents Distinguished Service Award among many others.