CANR Alumni Board Spotlight – Jolene Griffin
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EmailGet to know Jolene Griffin (’04, agriculture and natural resources communication), a new member of the CANR Alumni Board.
The College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (CANR) has nearly 60,000 alumni living around the world. The CANR Alumni Board helps connect this large and diverse alumni community to meaningful ways to engage with the college after graduation.
The mission of the CANR Alumni Board is to build relationships that serve the college, alumni, students and friends of MSU. The board consists of volunteer members representing each of the college departments, MSU Extension, young alumni and at-large members. These members meet quarterly in East Lansing.
CANR is releasing a series of spotlights on Alumni Board members. These stories highlight each member's motivation for joining the board and share their experiences in this role. Jolene Griffin recently joined the CANR Alumni Executive Board. She earned a bachelor’s degree in agriculture and natural resources communication from CANR in 2004.
Alumni Board members have a variety of responsibilities, including promoting college events and philanthropic opportunities. They also serve as liaisons between the college, academic departments, alumni, and the agriculture and natural resources industries, among other duties. The work of the Alumni Board helps to keep the CANR community vibrant and connected.
Members of the Alumni Board recently helped select recipients of the 2026 ANR Awards and played a leading role in promoting CANR’s fundraising efforts on Give Green Day. The Board also manages the awarding of student club grants and CANR Alumni Association Student Scholarships.
Grifin currently serves as vice president of industry relations at United Dairy Industry and Florida Dairy Farmers. In her role, she develops and implements industry relations plans that support dairy farmers in Michigan and Florida.
How did your experience at CANR set you up for success in your career after graduation?
CANR combined my love for dairy cows with my drive to tell the truth about agriculture with a degree in agriculture and natural resources communication. By splitting my time between animal science and communication classes, I met people who are now peers while exploring new ways to talk about agriculture. My internship and first job out of college were brought to me by CANR professors who introduced me to their contacts and offered recommendations.
What inspired you to become a CANR Alumni Board member?
Taking the Strength Finders Assessment a few years ago, I learned that one of my strengths is developing or recognizing and cultivating potential in others. As I step into this role as a new board member, I want to help find and facilitate more ways we as alum can develop students and graduates who will likely become future peers in our industry. I’m grateful that CANR brought a lot of people into my life who helped me develop and hope to do that for others.
What advice do you have for CANR current students?
Take advantage of the opportunities MSU and CANR offer, from joining clubs and organizations to going on a study abroad to making life-long friends to meeting future employers to learning something new and refining skills. Say yes to trying new things, that new meeting or event might bring new people or a new interest into your life.
How would you encourage other CANR alumni to get involved and connect with the college?
There’s a way to stay involved for everyone. I encourage other alumni to reflect on their time at CANR and the experiences they had and use that as direction for getting involved. There are opportunities to mentor students, host a judging team practice on your farm, employ an intern, as well as giving back financially, if you’re able. When someone from CANR calls, think of how you can help.
What kind of impact do you hope to have as a member of the CANR Alumni Board?
I’m curious by nature and as I start this board term, I hope to learn more about the alumni board, the current work of CANR and how we can engage the industry more. Through hearing about the current needs of the students and faculty, I also hope to bring recommendations and feasible solutions.
More information about the CANR Alumni Board and ways you can get involved with Alumni Association can be found here
