Wyandotte Museums Director Appointed to Michigan Humanities Council

Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder has appointed Jody Egen, Wyandotte’s director of museums and cultural affairs, to the Michigan Humanities Council.

“I am honored to serve the state of Michigan in this capacity and I am sincerely looking forward to assisting the council in helping communities, groups and individuals achieve their cultural and artistic pursuits, thereby directly contributing to the quality of life for Michigan’s citizens, promotion of our heritage, and supporting a sustained cycle of cultural and economic development,” Egen said.

“The cumulative effect of stimulating and expanding the culture and economy of our state results in the reinvention of Michigan as being built not solely on the industry of manufacture, but the industrious creativity of artistic talented people who choose to live and work here."

Egen has been Wyandotte's director of museums since 2005. She also is heavily involved in the planning and advocacy of the preservation and interpretation of Wyandotte's heritage and historical resources.

Egen holds an undergraduate degree in secondary education from Wayne State University and a master's degree in historic preservation from Eastern Michigan University.

The Michigan Humanities Council is a private, nonprofit organization created to foster a better understanding of each other and the state through local cultural, historical and literary experiences. The council was founded in 1974 and is funded in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities and individual donors.

In addition to Egen, the governor also appointed Dean Bach of West Bloomfield, Brian Brunner of Mt. Pleasant and Steve Wilson of Grand Rapids to the council. In addition to the gubernatorial appointments, the council's board also elected four new members — Paul Chaffee of St. Charles, Sarah Jury of Saginaw, Debra McKeon of Grand Haven and Kelvin Smyth of Escanaba.