Southwestern Michigan College Board of Trustees Vice Chairman Keith H. McKenzie received a pin for 30 years of service to the College at the Jan. 23 meeting of the Board of Trustees.

McKenzie first joined the Board in 1987 and has served as vice-chairman of the board since 1991.

McKenzie farms in Marcellus, Penn and Volinia townships of Cass County and is a lifelong Cassopolis/Marcellus area resident.

The past president of the Michigan Livestock Exchange and of Michigan Pork Producers, McKenzie also served on the Michigan Agriculture Commission as Gov. John Engler’s appointee.

He graduated from Marcellus High School and majored in agricultural economics at Michigan State University. He and his wife of 59 years, Darlene, are the parents of three children, daughters Kelly Reed and Lori Komorowski and son Brian, with nine grandchildren.

In 2002, he and Darlene, a Western Michigan University graduate who taught second grade, jointly received special recognition for dedicated service to Southwestern Michigan Pork Producers.

He also received the “Distinguished Service to Agriculture” award from Michigan Farm Bureau, given annually to a deserving individual for exceptional contributions to the state’s agricultural industry.

In 1989, McKenzie received the Master Pork Producer award for Michigan.

He served on the Volinia Township Board and continues as a director of G.W. Jones Exchange Bank in Marcellus that, at 33 years, he has done longer than his SMC board service.

The McKenzies, who live on McKenzie Street, belong to Wakelee United Methodist Church — which Keith’s grandfather helped build.

His father, grandfather and great-grandfather, who served in the Civil War, farmed before him.

The former county planner’s extensive community involvement led to his selection for a 1967-70 Kellogg Foundation Fellowship that took him across the nation and around the globe for 18 weeks over three years.

The final six weeks of the leadership program visited England, Belgium, France, Germany, Yugoslavia, Israel, Iran, China, Thailand, India and Afghanistan, including meetings with heads of state.

In 2009, SMC recognized McKenzie for his exceptional service to the College by naming the first residence hall “McKenzie Hall” in his honor.

Southwestern Michigan College is a public, residential and commuter, community college, founded in 1964. The college averages in the top 10 percent nationally for student academic success based upon the National Community College Benchmark Project. Southwestern Michigan College strives to be the college of first choice, to provide the programs and services to meet the needs of students, and to serve our community. The college is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools and is a member of the American Association of Community Colleges.