{"id":28033,"date":"2025-01-09T08:09:39","date_gmt":"2025-01-09T13:09:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/misbf.org\/?post_type=team_members&p=28033"},"modified":"2026-04-10T17:30:13","modified_gmt":"2026-04-10T21:30:13","slug":"daniel-schoonmaker","status":"publish","type":"team_members","link":"https:\/\/misbf.org\/es\/blog\/team_members\/daniel-schoonmaker\/","title":{"rendered":"Daniel Schoonmaker"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Daniel Schoonmaker<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Director ejecutivo<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Daniel Schoonmaker is an accomplished environmental educator and advocate best known for his work to promote a circular and sustainable economy in Michigan. He regularly speaks on corporate and community sustainability, food systems, industrial decarbonization, materials management and environmental justice.  In collaboration with a diverse team of colleagues and volunteers, he facilitates the largest community of practice for sustainability leaders in the Midwest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He has served as Executive Director of Michigan Sustainable Business Forum or West Michigan Sustainable Business Forum since 2013.  The Forum promotes business practices and public policy that advance climate leadership, social justice and the creation of a circular economy, and serves as a resource for professionals to collaboratively introduce their organizations to beyond-compliance sustainability (the \u201ctriple-bottom-line\u201d).  It expanded its programming to serve a statewide footpoint in 2023. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In his time at the Forum, Schoonmaker has supported heavy truck traffic interventions for local neighborhoods, helped establish commercial composting routes, piloted bilingual programming for food workers, advocated on behalf of sustainability champions and initiatives in dozens of companies and communities, and hosted more than 300 educational and networking events. He was the principal investigator for the Michigan Municipal Solid Waste Valuation Study in 2023 and 2016, the Michigan Food Waste Road Map, and the West Michigan Climate Adaptation Framework Initiative.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prior to the Forum, he served in various marketing communications roles for Grand Rapids agencies and institutions, including West Michigan Environmental Action Council and Crain\u2019s Grand Rapids Business.  As a reporter, he earned awards for coverage of the Grand Rapids \u201cmystery development\u201d and the Gerald R. Ford state funeral.  As an organizer, he was recognized for recruiting thousands of volunteers to sandbag the Grand River during the Flood of 2013.  His industry work focused on promoting first-generation green building products and performance improvement in B2B segments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Schoonmaker is a graduate of Aquinas College and Grand Rapids Community College. He is also a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, retiring as a Sergeant and machine gun section leader after a deployment to Djibouti, Africa.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/section>\n<\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"featured_media":28034,"template":"","class_list":["post-28033","team_members","type-team_members","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":{"boards":[{"board_item":"Michigan Community Service Commission - Appointed by Governor Gretchen Whitmer"},{"board_item":"Humane Society of West Michigan Board of Directors"},{"board_item":"Kent County Sustainable Materials Management Planning Committee"},{"board_item":"Ionia County Solid Waste Planning Committee"},{"board_item":"RE-AMP Landfill Local Action Working Group - Chair"},{"board_item":"Green Business Engagement National Network"}],"projects":[{"project_item":"Michigan Municipal Solid Waste Valuation Study 2023"},{"project_item":"Western Michigan Sustainable Materials Management Coalition"},{"project_item":"Michigan Food System Waste Reduction Road Map"},{"project_item":"Circularity Forum"},{"project_item":"West Michigan GSI Taskforce"},{"project_item":"Michigan\u2019s Great Southwest Sustainable Business Forum"},{"project_item":"Repairing Legacy of Emergency Management Through Creation of a Circular Economy Hub in Benton Harbor, Mich."},{"project_item":"Outreach and Engagement of Business Stakeholders and Potential Champions to Improve Environmental Conditions in Roosevelt Park Neighborhood"}],"publications":[{"publication_item":"Michigan Municipality Solid Waste Evaluation Study (MiSBF, 2024)"},{"publication_item":"Michigan Food Waste Roadmap (MiSBF, 2023)"},{"publication_item":"How Sustainable Business is Promoting Environmental Justice in Roosevelt Park Neighborhood, (Latino Community Coalition, 2022)"},{"publication_item":"Building community capacity with philosophy: Toolbox dialogue and climate resilience (Ecology and Society, 2021)"},{"publication_item":"My Story Started at GRCC: After seeing 'real world,' Daniel Schoonmaker is trying to make it a better place (GRCC, 2021)"},{"publication_item":"The Growing Importance of Social Equity to Recycling & Sustainability Programs (Michigan Recycling Coalition Annual Conference, 2019)"},{"publication_item":"Activating the Business Community to Fight Food Waste (Midwest Food Waste Summit, 2018)"},{"publication_item":"Developing an Adaptation Toolkit for Businesses and Institutions in the West Michigan Region (GLISA, 2017)"},{"publication_item":"Michigan Municipality Solid Waste Evaluation Study (WMSBF, 2016)"}],"certifications":[{"certification_item":"Center for Health and Research Transformation Health Policy Fellowship (2025)"},{"certification_item":"USF Muma College of Business, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the Workplace (2023)"},{"certification_item":"Dorothy A. Johnson Center for Philanthropy, Board Member Certification (2018, 2015)"},{"certification_item":"Environmental Resources Management CE Program, GRI Certified Training (2014)"},{"certification_item":"Dorothy A. Johnson Center for Philanthropy, Professional Facilitator Training (2011)"},{"certification_item":"U.S. Green Building Council, LEED Accredited Professional (2008)"}],"honors":[{"honor_item":"Crain's Grand Rapids Notable Leaders in Sustainability (2025)"},{"honor_item":"NextCycle Michigan Showcase Judges Award - Community Collaboration (2022)"},{"honor_item":"Office of Sustainability Practices at Grand Valley State University - Community Sustainability Champion Award (2017)"},{"honor_item":"Grand Rapids Business Journal Newsmakers of the Year (2017)"},{"honor_item":"Grand Rapids Business Journal Forty Business Leaders Under 40 (2016)"},{"honor_item":"Young Nonprofit Professionals Network of Grand Rapids - Exemplary Executive Award Finalist (2016)"},{"honor_item":"U.S. Navy Achievement Medal (2003)"}]},"aioseo_notices":[],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/misbf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/01\/Dan-Profile-pic-for-web-e1639674744703.jpg",720,720,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/misbf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/01\/Dan-Profile-pic-for-web-e1639674744703-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/misbf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/01\/Dan-Profile-pic-for-web-e1639674744703-300x300.jpg",300,300,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/misbf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/01\/Dan-Profile-pic-for-web-e1639674744703.jpg",720,720,false],"large":["https:\/\/misbf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/01\/Dan-Profile-pic-for-web-e1639674744703.jpg",720,720,false],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/misbf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/01\/Dan-Profile-pic-for-web-e1639674744703.jpg",720,720,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/misbf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/01\/Dan-Profile-pic-for-web-e1639674744703.jpg",720,720,false],"trp-custom-language-flag":["https:\/\/misbf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/01\/Dan-Profile-pic-for-web-e1639674744703-12x12.jpg",12,12,true],"xl":["https:\/\/misbf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/01\/Dan-Profile-pic-for-web-e1639674744703.jpg",720,720,false],"xxl":["https:\/\/misbf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/01\/Dan-Profile-pic-for-web-e1639674744703.jpg",720,720,false],"xxxl":["https:\/\/misbf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/01\/Dan-Profile-pic-for-web-e1639674744703.jpg",720,720,false],"xxxxl":["https:\/\/misbf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/01\/Dan-Profile-pic-for-web-e1639674744703.jpg",720,720,false],"xxxxxl":["https:\/\/misbf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/01\/Dan-Profile-pic-for-web-e1639674744703.jpg",720,720,false],"post-thumbnail":["https:\/\/misbf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/01\/Dan-Profile-pic-for-web-e1639674744703.jpg",720,720,false],"getwid_base-cropped":["https:\/\/misbf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/01\/Dan-Profile-pic-for-web-e1639674744703-720x552.jpg",720,552,true],"getwid_base-large":["https:\/\/misbf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/01\/Dan-Profile-pic-for-web-e1639674744703.jpg",720,720,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"Daniel Schoonmaker","author_link":"https:\/\/misbf.org\/es\/blog\/author\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":null,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/misbf.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/team_members\/28033","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/misbf.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/team_members"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/misbf.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/team_members"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/misbf.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/28034"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/misbf.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28033"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}