Meet Mike Vande Logt
As executive vice president and chief operating officer of Winfield Solutions Seed at Land O'Lakes, Mike Vande Logt specializes in plant breeding and plant genetics.
With 33 years of experience in the seed industry, he understands how important food production and food access are in maintaining a functioning society. One of the driving forces behind his commitment to Greater Twin Cities United Way is his passion for addressing hunger in our community.
After participating in his Land O'Lakes workplace giving campaign for many years, Mike furthered his United Way involvement by becoming a Tocqueville Society cabinet member and serving as chair of the Land O'Lakes giving campaign in 2009.
Mike sees a strong connection between hunger and many other issues associated with poverty and economic stability. "If you're hungry it's hard to focus on anything else in your life," Mike said. "All other problems go away when you are hungry."
Mike believes that other areas of life such as education, job performance, and health and safety benefit from programs that help meet our basic food needs. He views supporting these programs as an important investment in our society.
"Life has been so great to me, I want to give back to the community," he said. For Mike, giving back to the community through United Way includes a concentration on his own gifts and volunteer work, but also involves encouraging others to give back. "Giving is something that has to be cultivated," Mike said.
As a United Way volunteer solicitor and CEO caller, Mike helps cultivate giving in his fellow business peers-a task he enjoys because it can have a significant impact. Mike feels strongly about this fundraising effort in light of the recent economic downturn. "In difficult times need goes up," Mike said. "And recessions are hardest on the people who can afford it the least."
Mike appreciates the priorities and benchmarks that United Way sets in its work and he enjoys knowing that his support is helping to make a meaningful impact in the community.