Michigan Sugar : So long, ‘Sugar Ray’ – Ray Van Driessche, Michigan Sugar Company’s Director of Government Relations, sugar industry centerpiece, retires

Michigan Sugar Company Director of Government Relations Ray Van Driessche is congratulated on his upcoming retirement during the winter meeting of the American Sugarbeet Growers Association held in November in Washington, D.C. (ASGA photo)

So long, 'Sugar Ray'

Ray Van Driessche, Michigan Sugar Company's Director of Government Relations, sugar industry centerpiece, retires

BAY CITY - Sugar Ray.

From the fields where Michigan Sugar Company's nearly 900 grower-owners annually plant and harvest sugarbeets; to the State Capital in Lansing, Michigan; to Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. - when you put the word "sugar" in front of the name "Ray," everyone knows exactly who you're talking about.

The one and only Ray Van Driessche.

Ray Van Driessche speaks during the Michigan Sugar Company East District Annual Meeting held Dec. 17, 2018.

For decades, Ray has been a leading voice for the sugarbeet industry in Michigan and a centerpiece of the sugar industry in our nation's capital and on the international stage.

As he retires from Michigan Sugar Company and steps away from his duties on the Board of Directors for the American Sugarbeet Grower's Association, Ray, 67, leaves behind an immeasurable impact and a legacy that is second to none.

"Ray worked tirelessly on behalf of the cooperative and growers during his career," said Mark Flegenheimer, President and CEO of Michigan Sugar Company. "He was on a first-name basis with everyone in Lansing and Washington, D.C.; those deeply rooted relationships will be difficult to replace.

"Personally I will miss his unflappable, can-do attitude that he brought to any task he was assigned."

Ray Van Driessche, right, poses for a photo with Michigan Sugar Company Board Chairman Richard Gerstenberger during the Central District Annual Meeting held Dec. 10, 2018, in Sebewaing. Gerstenberger is the current President of the American Sugarbeet Growers Association. Van Driessche served as President from 2000 to 2002.

Added Michigan Sugar Company Board Chairman Richard Gerstenberger: "Ray Van Driessche has always represented the growers of Michigan Sugar Company with the highest level of commitment to the industry and has mentored many ASGA representatives during his distinguished career.

"This has earned him the respect of his peers throughout the industry."

'Respected voice'

If you read Ray's bio on the ASGA website, you'll learn that he grew up on a family farm in southeast Bay County and farmed full time in a partnership with his brother Gene from 1967 to 2005. He then went to work full time for Michigan Sugar Company as the Director of Community and Government Relations.

He is still involved in the family operation and helps out on the farm during the peak busy seasons. Ray and his wife Geri have two daughters and two sons, both of whom are involved in the family farm operation.

Ray became a member of the Monitor Sugarbeet Growers Association Board of Directors in 1986 and served as President for 10 years. He then served as Executive Director of the Monitor Sugarbeet Growers Association until Michigan Sugar Company and Monitor Sugar Company merged in October 2004.

He has served continuously on the Board of Directors of the American Sugarbeet Growers Association since 1991, including a stint as President from 2000 to 2002.

"I have had the distinct privilege to work with Ray VanDriessche for more than 20 years," said Luther Markwart, ASGA Executive Director. "Ray stepped up as president of the American Sugarbeet Growers to provide the leadership our organization needed at a critical time in our history. He gained tremendous expertise working on Farm Bills and trade negotiations that gave him a respected voice at the highest level of our industry."

Markwart said Ray's wise counsel and calm demeanor were effective assets in some of the most difficult situations facing the sugar industry.

"Ray had the skill and the personal integrity to serve as a most effective spokesperson when dealing with the public and elected members of the legislature at both the state and national level," he said. "Ray's tasks were never easy, but his credibility as a real farmer and his gift to communicate the simple truths about our industry and our policy, endeared him to the key decision makers who met with him over the years. Those decisions had a direct impact on every beet farmer in the country.

"To be a great leader you must first be a great servant and Ray served our growers, industry and nation extremely well for so many years."

Ray Van Driessche works in the United Way of Bay County Community Garden that sits in the shadow of Michigan Sugar Company's factory in Bay City.

'Steadfast advocate'

Ray's resume speaks for itself. But those who know him well can easily point out, more specifically, why he's known throughout the industry as "Sugar Ray:"

• • His knowledge of the industry, which is beyond compare, especially when it comes to agriculture and sugar policy.

• • His kindness, generosity and unselfish approach to life. Ray is always the first one to step up when help is needed.

• • His leadership and ability to work with folks from every walk of life and politicians on both sides of the aisle.

• • His dedication to the craft of farming, his career at Michigan Sugar and his extracurricular affairs, which have literally helped shape the sugar industry.

• • His passion for teaching and mentoring others, which can be seen each day in the way Ray approaches his job and his life.