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Volunteer of the Month
MFB's Volunteers of the Month are selected by a panel of discerning staff judges who work with Farm Bureau members statewide in a variety of program areas. Nomination forms are available at all county offices, or by contacting Lori Chamberlain at the MFB Young Farmer Department at (800) 292-2680, ext. 3234.
Jim Bellor
March, 2006 Volunteer of the Month
Farm Bureau honors Bay County member for service, dedication
Jim Bellor of Kawkawlin has been recognized by Michigan Farm Bureau (MFB) as the organization's Volunteer of the Month for March 2006. A Farm Bureau member for more than 15 years, Bellor has been active in a number of programs - including membership, information and policy development - and also sits on the Bay County Farm Bureau's board of directors.
Currently Bellor chairs both his county's promotion and education (P&E) and building committees. In many county Farm Bureaus, the latter assignment rarely involves much more than grounds keeping and routine maintenance - not so in Bay County�
As building committee chair, Bellor has taken the helm of a thorough and long-necessary renovation of the county Farm Bureau office, constructed in 1961. As project manager, he has assessed the updates necessary to insulation, plumbing, heating and electrical systems; reported this information to the county board; lined up contractors; estimated costs and overseen the commencement of the work itself.
At the same time, Bellor has been just as busy at the controls of the P&E committee. After securing a grant from the Michigan Soybean Association, he put together an instructional soy biodiesel summit, bringing together processors, producers and potential users to learn more about that promising renewable fuel.
With spring planting season already stirring, cumbersome agricultural implements will again be plodding down area roadways, and Bellor's P&E committee is also spearheading an effort to boost awareness of the slow-moving vehicle (SMV) emblem. Through a variety of means, including posters in local Secretary of State offices, the campaign aims to educate motorists that farm vehicles are legally entitled to their share of the pavement, and that extreme caution should be taken in approaching and passing them on the roadway.
"Jim has done exceptional work on both committees," said Bay County Farm Bureau President Duane Scheuerlein, who nominated Bellor for Volunteer of the Month. "He really has gone above and beyond the role of volunteer."
