Draves named outstanding 4-H alumna
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EmailMidland County 4-H alumna Mary F. Draves, of Midland, was among ten 4-H alumni inducted into the 2024 class of the Michigan 4-H Emerald Clover Society at a ceremony on Sept. 21.
Midland County 4-H alumna Mary F. Draves, of Midland, is among ten 4-H alumni inducted into the 2024 class of the Michigan 4-H Emerald Clover Society. Draves was recognized on Sept. 21 during the Michigan 4-H Legacy Awards Celebration hosted by Michigan State University Extension and the Michigan 4-H Foundation in East Lansing.
The Michigan 4-H Emerald Clover Society honors former Michigan 4-H members whose professional leadership and community service reflect the ultimate outcome of 4-H membership – extraordinary use of an individual’s head, heart, hands and health to make communities, the country and the world better places in which to live. This recognition is provided by Michigan 4-H Youth Development with support from the Michigan 4-H Foundation.
Draves is the president of MD and Associates Consulting, which specializes in helping companies learn to translate their environmental, health, and safety; sustainability; and environmental, social, and governance practices into revenue growth. Draves developed her expertise during a three-decades long career at Dow Inc., where she worked in sustainability; environmental, health, and safety; manufacturing; environmental matters; public policy, government, and community affairs.
Draves retired in 2021 as Dow’s chief sustainability officer and vice president of Environment, Health, and Safety. In this role, Draves used science and innovation to drive transformative and sustainable change. She led the global effort to protect the health and safety of all Dow employees and the communities in which the company operates. She was instrumental in leading Dow’s 2025 Sustainability Goals and shaping the company’s sustainability targets.
“My early years shaped my work ethic and my understanding of what people can do in their communities by working together toward common goals,” said Draves. “The values that 4-H fosters, especially the commitment to excellence through teamwork and collaboration, I took into my professional career. The philosophy that 4-H taught me has been a cornerstone of my professional leadership philosophy.”
Draves has served on the Michigan 4-H Foundation Board of Trustees, the Campbell Institute Steering Committee, and the University of Michigan’s Erb Institute Strategic Advisory Board. She currently serves on The Nature Conservancy of Michigan’s Board, the Isabella Bank Eastern Region Advisory Board, the Operations Board of the Great Lakes Loons, and the Saginaw Valley State University Foundation Board, and is a past chair of the Midland Business Alliance.
Draves has been a Midland County 4-H volunteer for nearly 20 years, raising her two children in the program in which she grew up. She and her husband Todd continue to be active in the program, supporting youth projects and providing scholarships to the county 4-H camp. Draves completed bachelor’s and master’s degrees from SVSU. In 2018, she was named a distinguished alumni of the SVSU College of Engineering, Science, and Technology.
Also inducted into the 4-H Emerald Clover Society Class of 2024 were: Sarah A. Black, Eagle; Thomas L. Bosserd, Plymouth; Katie M. Eisenberger, Shepherd; Maurice J. Kaercher, Kalamazoo; State Sen. Edward W. McBroom, Vulcan; former State Rep. Joel Sheltrown, West Branch; Nancy L. Victorson, Newberry; Shaun T. Wade, Norton Shores; and Dr. Dave D. Weatherspoon, East Lansing. Michigan 4-H Emerald Clover Society members are inducted every two years. The inaugural class of 62 members was inducted in 2002. For more information on the 4 H Emerald Clover Society and its members, visit www.mi4hfdtn.org/ecs.
Other honorees recognized at the 2024 Michigan 4-H Legacy Awards Celebration included partners receiving the Michigan 4-H Citation Award, volunteers awarded the Michigan 4-H Salute to Excellence Awards, volunteers awarded the Michigan Farm Bureau Excellence in Agriculture Awards, 50-year 4-H volunteers, winners of the MSU 4-H Scholarship, and retiring 4-H staff.
