Gaken, Daniel

Biography

Daniel M. Gaken has served as the director of the Sarah R. Opperman Leadership Institute since 2009. An active member of the Mt. Pleasant Community, Dan sits on the ArtReach Board of Directors, serves on the Games Committee for the Special Olympics Michigan, and is a former Trustee of the United Way of Gratiot and Isabella Counties. Dan builds community leaders through programming with the Mt. Pleasant Area Chamber of Commerce including Capstone Leadership, a curriculum he authored. A nationally-recognized leadership speaker, Gaken is past president of the Michigan Chapter of the American College Personnel Association (ACPA) and a directorate member for the ACPA Mid-Level Community of Practice. Dan served ten years Michigan Association of Secondary School Principal’s Level III leadership curriculum director. Gaken also facilitates sessions of the LeaderShape Institute around the nation for college students. Dan's first book, Leadership & Service: An Introduction, which he co-authored with Senator George was published by Kendall/Hunt in 2008.