MDA Director Don Koivisto was born and raised in the western Upper Peninsula and graduated from Central Michigan University in 1971. He was elected to the Michigan House of Representatives in 1980 where he served three terms and was chair of the House Agriculture Committee from 1984-1986. Additionally, he served 12 years in the state Senate after being elected in 1990 and was on the agriculture appropriations subcommittee.

Director Koivisto and his family own a 160 acre Centennial Farm in Ellsworth that is leased to an area farmer for the production of corn, soybeans and hay.