Board
Jon DeGroot - President
Jon works for the Dow Corning Corporation and joined our board in 2011. He earned his bachelor's degree at Iowa State University and his doctorate in chemical engineering from the University of Minnesota. Jon resides in Midland with his wife, Heather.
Chuck Martin - Vice President
Chuck joined our board in 2012. He is a horticulturist and curator of woody plants at The Dow Gardens. Chuck received his Bachelor's degree in Ornamental Horticulture from Michigan State University, a Master's degree in Ornamental Horticulture from the University of Wisconsin in Madison, and an MBA from Northwood University. He also pens a weekly article on plant varieties and culture for the Midland Daily News. Chuck is extremely grateful to his wife Beth, who also has a Bachelor's degree in Horticulture, for editing all his articles.
Bill Thomson - Tresurer
Bill joined our board in 2012. He is president of Midland-Based McMahan, Thomson & Associates, P.C. Bill holds a Bachelor's degree in accounting from Michigan State University and is a certified public accountant. He has been actively involved in outdoor activities in one form or another since Boy Scouts. He also serves as chairman of the Board of CBM of Midland, treasurer for the MSU Alumni Association of Midland County, and president/treasurer of Michigan Saginaw Valley Brittany Club. Bill lives in Midland with his wife, Elissa.
Roger Garner - Secretary
Roger joined our board in 2016. Roger recently retired after 28 years as Midland County's emergency management coordinator. He has a Bachelor's degree from Spring Arbor University in management and organization development and is a Certified Floodplain Manager. Roger resides in Jerome Township.
Robyn Galbraith - At Large
Robyn joined our board in 2014. A native of Saginaw, she is an Implementation Coordinator at Brown & Brown Insurance. She previously worked at Ieuter Insurance Group as an Employee Benefits Specialist since 2009. She received her Associates Degree from Delta College in 2007 and her Bachelor's Degree in Biology from Saginaw Valley State University in 2010. She is a member of the Young Leaders United Executive Council through the United Way of Midland County and Leadership Midland through the Midland Chamber of Commerce. Robyn is actively involved in Lunchbox Learners through the United Way Midland County, Junior Achievement of Central Michigan, Midland Area Homes, Shelterhouse, and MyPros through the Midland Chamber of Commerce. She currently lives in Midland where she enjoys spending time outdoors, running, and playing with her miniature dachshund, Oscar.
Tim Dyste
Tim joined our board in 2014. He came to Dow Corning in 1986 after a career in public accounting. Initially holding positions in finance, he later led global quality improvement and Six Sigma efforts as well as leadership positions in manufacturing. Recently retired, he plans to remain active in the community. Tim and his wife, Sue, raised three children in Midland.
Sue Erhardt
Sue joined our board in 2017. Originally from Chicago, Sue moved to Midland to work for Dow Chemical in 2004 after working at Dow AgroSciences in the Indianapolis area. She currently is a laboratory director at Michigan State University. She has one son.
Mary Haslam
Mary joined our board in 2017. Mary is proud to be recently retired from The Dow Chemical Company, where she worked for 32 years. While she was a chemical engineer at Dow, she spent most of her career doing environmental and organizational effectiveness work at Dow. She has a particular interest in wastewater issues, and also served on the board of the Saginaw Bay Watershed Initiative Network.
Sally Hightower
Sally joined our board in 2017. A retired educator, Sally spent more than 30 years working as a counselor and athletic trainer with Gladwin Public Schools. She is originally from Chicago, but loves her 37.5 acre home in Gladwin County. She and her wife, Linda, donated a conservation easement to Little Forks Conservancy in 2016 to protect their tree farm.
Joshua Jones
Josh is an attorney in the Corporate and Financial Law group at Dow Chemical with a focus on mergers and acquisitions. Josh served on the 14-member DowDuPont Joint Implementation Management Office for the recent merger of Dow and DuPont. Before that role, he served as Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of Union Carbide Corporation, the Deputy Director of Dow’s Office of Ethics and Compliance, and as a Senior Commercial Attorney. Before joining Dow, Josh was an associate at Dickinson Wright and a CPA with Ernst & Young. He has a law degree from Wayne State and a bachelor’s from Miami (OH) University.
Steve Wilkowski
Steve joined our board in 2016. He also serves as president of the Leon P. Martuch Chapter of Trout Unlimited. He has worked within the material science industry for over 25 years in a variety of research development and commercial roles, currently with Siltech Corporation. Steve holds degrees in chemistry and biology from Saginaw Valley State University and an MBA from Virginia Commonwealth University. Steve resides in Midland with his wife and three children.
Jon works for the Dow Corning Corporation and joined our board in 2011. He earned his bachelor's degree at Iowa State University and his doctorate in chemical engineering from the University of Minnesota. Jon resides in Midland with his wife, Heather.
Chuck Martin - Vice President
Chuck joined our board in 2012. He is a horticulturist and curator of woody plants at The Dow Gardens. Chuck received his Bachelor's degree in Ornamental Horticulture from Michigan State University, a Master's degree in Ornamental Horticulture from the University of Wisconsin in Madison, and an MBA from Northwood University. He also pens a weekly article on plant varieties and culture for the Midland Daily News. Chuck is extremely grateful to his wife Beth, who also has a Bachelor's degree in Horticulture, for editing all his articles.
Bill Thomson - Tresurer
Bill joined our board in 2012. He is president of Midland-Based McMahan, Thomson & Associates, P.C. Bill holds a Bachelor's degree in accounting from Michigan State University and is a certified public accountant. He has been actively involved in outdoor activities in one form or another since Boy Scouts. He also serves as chairman of the Board of CBM of Midland, treasurer for the MSU Alumni Association of Midland County, and president/treasurer of Michigan Saginaw Valley Brittany Club. Bill lives in Midland with his wife, Elissa.
Roger Garner - Secretary
Roger joined our board in 2016. Roger recently retired after 28 years as Midland County's emergency management coordinator. He has a Bachelor's degree from Spring Arbor University in management and organization development and is a Certified Floodplain Manager. Roger resides in Jerome Township.
Robyn Galbraith - At Large
Robyn joined our board in 2014. A native of Saginaw, she is an Implementation Coordinator at Brown & Brown Insurance. She previously worked at Ieuter Insurance Group as an Employee Benefits Specialist since 2009. She received her Associates Degree from Delta College in 2007 and her Bachelor's Degree in Biology from Saginaw Valley State University in 2010. She is a member of the Young Leaders United Executive Council through the United Way of Midland County and Leadership Midland through the Midland Chamber of Commerce. Robyn is actively involved in Lunchbox Learners through the United Way Midland County, Junior Achievement of Central Michigan, Midland Area Homes, Shelterhouse, and MyPros through the Midland Chamber of Commerce. She currently lives in Midland where she enjoys spending time outdoors, running, and playing with her miniature dachshund, Oscar.
Tim Dyste
Tim joined our board in 2014. He came to Dow Corning in 1986 after a career in public accounting. Initially holding positions in finance, he later led global quality improvement and Six Sigma efforts as well as leadership positions in manufacturing. Recently retired, he plans to remain active in the community. Tim and his wife, Sue, raised three children in Midland.
Sue Erhardt
Sue joined our board in 2017. Originally from Chicago, Sue moved to Midland to work for Dow Chemical in 2004 after working at Dow AgroSciences in the Indianapolis area. She currently is a laboratory director at Michigan State University. She has one son.
Mary Haslam
Mary joined our board in 2017. Mary is proud to be recently retired from The Dow Chemical Company, where she worked for 32 years. While she was a chemical engineer at Dow, she spent most of her career doing environmental and organizational effectiveness work at Dow. She has a particular interest in wastewater issues, and also served on the board of the Saginaw Bay Watershed Initiative Network.
Sally Hightower
Sally joined our board in 2017. A retired educator, Sally spent more than 30 years working as a counselor and athletic trainer with Gladwin Public Schools. She is originally from Chicago, but loves her 37.5 acre home in Gladwin County. She and her wife, Linda, donated a conservation easement to Little Forks Conservancy in 2016 to protect their tree farm.
Joshua Jones
Josh is an attorney in the Corporate and Financial Law group at Dow Chemical with a focus on mergers and acquisitions. Josh served on the 14-member DowDuPont Joint Implementation Management Office for the recent merger of Dow and DuPont. Before that role, he served as Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of Union Carbide Corporation, the Deputy Director of Dow’s Office of Ethics and Compliance, and as a Senior Commercial Attorney. Before joining Dow, Josh was an associate at Dickinson Wright and a CPA with Ernst & Young. He has a law degree from Wayne State and a bachelor’s from Miami (OH) University.
Steve Wilkowski
Steve joined our board in 2016. He also serves as president of the Leon P. Martuch Chapter of Trout Unlimited. He has worked within the material science industry for over 25 years in a variety of research development and commercial roles, currently with Siltech Corporation. Steve holds degrees in chemistry and biology from Saginaw Valley State University and an MBA from Virginia Commonwealth University. Steve resides in Midland with his wife and three children.