Staff

Mike VanBuren
Writer/Producer

Mike VanBuren is an award-winning journalist and a mediocre bluegrass musician. He spent nearly a decade as a writer, editor and photographer at several Michigan newspapers, including the Antrim County News, The Leader and the Kalkaskian, The Flint Journal and the Kalamazoo Gazette. He also has worked for almost 23 years as a writer, communication manager and documentary video producer at a major U.S. foundation.

Before that, he pumped gas, cleaned office buildings, finished concrete, helped maintain a paper factory and worked as a locomotive fireman for the Penn Central Railroad.

Mike holds a bachelor's degree in English and natural resources conservation from Central Michigan University in Mt. Pleasant, and a master's degree in organizational communication from Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo. He studied at the Sony Center for Applied Video Technology in Hollywood, California, and the International Film and Television Workshops in Rockport, Maine.

As a freelance writer, Mike has contributed articles to a range of general circulation magazines, including Michigan Natural Resources, Michigan History, Michigan Business, Bluegrass Unlimited, and Encore. He also has been a commentator for Michigan Public Radio's Great Lakes Radio Consortium and Living on Earth, a National Public Radio program.

Mike's writing and news photography have been honored by the Michigan Press Association, as well as by the Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. Foundation. His documentary videos have been recognized in a variety of production award competitions. In addition, he is a recipient of the prestigious Ben East Prize for excellence in conservation journalism and twice has been named Michigan Agricultural Communicator of the Year.