Press Release

Hendrik Meijer, Executive Chairman of Meijer, Inc. joins The Henry Ford Board of Trustees

(Dearborn, Mich. – April 26, 2017) – Hendrik Meijer, executive chairman of Meijer, Inc. in Grand Rapids, has been elected to serve a three-year term as a member of the Board of Trustees at The Henry Ford. Meijer joins 23 other business, civic and education leaders on the institution’s board.

“Hendrik has been a pivotal leader, not only in his role at Meijer, but the work he has done throughout the state of Michigan,” said Patricia Mooradian. “We are honored to have his knowledge, leadership and passion for both guests and the arts as part of our board of trustees.”

Hendrik Meijer joined the family retail business at the age of 11 as a grocery clerk. After working in the journalism field, he rejoined Meijer in 1979 as assistant advertising director. He currently oversees the operations of more than 200 self-service combination supermarket-discount department stores located in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky and Wisconsin. Along with his work for the company, he has also published “Thrifty Years,” a biography of his grandfather Hendrik Meijer, the company’s founder and the 2011 biography “America’s Senator: The Unexpected Odyssey of Arthur H. Vandenberg.”

In addition to serving on The Henry Ford’s Board of Trustees, Meijer is also vice-chairman of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation. He also serves on the executive committee of the Food Marketing Institute and is a trustee of the Kettering Foundation and the National Constitution Center. He is a member of the University of Michigan’s President’s Advisory Group and the Ford School of Public Policy board of advisors. 

As a board member for The Henry Ford, Meijer joins Chairman of the Board S. Evan Weiner, Vice Chairman Gerard M. Anderson, Vice Chairman Sheila Ford Hamp, President and Secretary Patricia E. Mooradian, Treasurer Lisa A. Payne and Trustees Lynn Ford Alandt, Paul R. Dimond, Edsel B. Ford II, Henry Ford III, William Clay Ford, Jr., William C. Ford III, George F. Francis III, Ralph J. Gerson, Christopher F. Hamp, Steven K. Hamp, John W. Ingle III, Elizabeth Ford Kontulis, Eliza Hudson Kontulis, Richard A. Manoogian, Bruce Meyer, Hau Thai-Tang, Alessandro F. Uzielli and Ambassador Ronald N. Weiser.

About The Henry Ford
The Henry Ford in Dearborn, Michigan is an internationally-recognized history destination that explores the American experience of innovation, resourcefulness and ingenuity that helped shape America. A national historic landmark with an unparalleled Archive of American Innovation, The Henry Ford is a force for sparking curiosity and inspiring tomorrow’s innovators. Nearly 1.8 million visitors annually experience its five attractions: Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation, Greenfield Village, Ford Rouge Factory Tour, Benson Ford Research Center and The Henry Ford Giant Screen Experience. A continually expanding array of content available online provides anytime, anywhere access. The Henry Ford is also home to Henry Ford Academy, a public charter high school which educates over 500 students a year on the institution’s campus. In 2014, The Henry Ford premiered its first-ever national television series, The Henry Ford’s Innovation Nation, showcasing present-day change-makers and The Henry Ford’s artifacts and unique visitor experiences. Hosted by news correspondent and humorist, Mo Rocca, this Emmy®-winning weekly half-hour show airs Saturday mornings on CBS. For more information please visit our website thehenryford.org.