Michele Lenneman Distinguished Service to Ag. Award Winner

This year's recipient was born and raised on a dairy farm. It has been long accepted that the key to success in the dairy business is to start with the best possible pedigree, then raise the offspring in the best possible environment and you will end up with outstanding individuals who perform well, make everyone proud to be associated with them and then repeat the whole process. This analogy aptly describes our recipient tonight. The product of outstanding genetics, born into a loving , nurturing family who has always been very involved in numerous ways in the agricultural industry and in the community this young lady may not have had any choice but to turn out the way she did. The distinguished service award goes to Michele Lenneman.

Michele started showing Holstein cattle at a very early age, as soon as she was old enough she started as a member of the Dairy-Go-Getters 4-H club, later becoming it's leader and still serves in that position today. She participated in 4-H Dairy Judging. She was also very active in the Michigan Junior Holstien Association on the local, state and national level.

In her freshman year at Corunna High School she joined the FFA. During her four years of FFA she honed her leadership skills, became a chapter officer and earned her State FFA Degree.

While attending Michigan State University she worked at the dairy barn, was active in the MSU dairy Club, earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Dairy Science and met a Veterinary Medicine student who would later become her husband.

She is an active member of Shiawassee County Farm Bureau having served on the county and State Young Farmer committees. She also served on the Promotion and Education committee and has been a delegate to Michigan Farm Bureau's State Annual Meeting.

Michele has always exhibited and outstanding love for agriculture and the youth of the community. She has used her boundless energy, creativity and dedication to the betterment of both in many ways. At the Shiawassee County Fair she organizes the young people's dairy show, conducts the judging contest, organizes the Dairy Booth and supervises 4-H members who sell milk and ice cream products to fund the dairy programs. She is in charge of the dairy youth awards and has been the assistant superintendent of the dairy bard for 29 years. Michele is involved in 4-H Dairy Days and has coached the dairy judging and quiz bowl teams.

Michele returned to the agri-science classroom as a paraprofessional under Frank Corrin who says "her technical knowledge of agriculture plus her strong leadership skills and ability to work with students was like having a second teacher in the classroom." She has also worked as an elementary teachers aide and is currently employed at the Corunna High School office.

In 1983 Michele married Dr. Erwin Lenneman and the two of them started the whole process of excellent genetics and strong family values leading to success over again. Michele and Erwin continue to be huge supporters of numerous youth, sports, agricultural activities in Shiawassee County. The have two children, Bonnie Lenneman, a graduate of Marquette University in Wisconsin. She now resides and works in Portland, Oregon. Bryan Lenneman is a recent graduate of MSU and is entering his doctorial program at the University of Chicago.