Davenport University President Richard J. Pappas, Ed.D., announced that Mark Peters, the CEO of Butterball Farms, Inc. has been appointed to the university’s Board of Trustees. Peters is the second-generation owner of his family’s business, which he learned from the ground up, beginning at the age of 12 as a factory worker. Butterball Farms, located in Grand Rapids, is a world leader in manufacturing specialty butter products.

Peters, who has an accounting degree from Davenport, has a long history of work in the area of talent investment and retention. In 2003, he founded the SOURCE, a nonprofit organization that has helped thousands of workers navigate personal challenges that interfere with their jobs. Peters organized community leaders around this new way of addressing talent retention, reporting an annual return on investment of more than 300% for nearly 8,000 clients served.

That work has been replicated around the country and led to the publication of his first book, “The SOURCE: Using the Power of Collaboration to Stabilize Your Workforce and Impact Your Community.” His second book, “The Retention Trap: Stop Measuring Turnover, Start Measuring Talent Investment,” was published in 2025 and highlights the need to focus on investment in employees to support retention. 

“Mark Peters serving as a trustee will be an incredible asset to our university,” said Pappas. “His experience running his family business, coupled with his passion for talent development and retention, make him a strong partner for Davenport and our students. He understands the career-focused mission of this university, as we prepare the workforce of the future.”

In addition to being an author and an entrepreneur, Peters is also known as a dynamic speaker, often blending personal storytelling with leadership insights. He currently serves as board chair for WorkLife Partnership in Denver, as a member of the Corporate Coalition in Chicago, and he is a community partner of Thrive + Prosper in Grand Rapids. 

“I’m excited to join the Davenport University Board of Trustees, working with a great group of community leaders as they respond to education in rapidly changing times,” Peters said.

Peters will participate in his first Davenport University Board of Trustees meeting in March 2026.