On December 31st, the two-year MAC presidency of Dr. Kenneth Murkowski, II, will come to an end. Earlier this year, the MAC Leadership Committee, chaired by MAC Chairman of the Board Dr. Robert Markle, recommended potential candidates for President and Vice President to the MAC Board of Directors, and those candidates were announced to the general membership. At their June 2026 meeting, the MAC Board reviewed the nominations of the Leadership Committee and unanimously voted to nominate final candidates for those positions:
- For President: Steven Simmons of Midland
- For Vice President / Director of External Affairs: John Smarch of Jackson
Since Dr. Simmons and Dr. Smarch are running unopposed, they will take over their new roles on January 1st! Congratulations, Dr. Simmons and Dr. Smarch, and thank you for taking on these important leadership positions!
About Dr. Steven Simmons and Dr. John Smarch
Dr. Steven Simmons of Midland will serve as the MAC’s 11th President. His term will begin on January 1, 2027, and run through December 31, 2028. 2027-2028 will mark his fourth term on the Executive Committee.
Dr. Simmons currently serves as the MAC’s Vice President/Director of External Affairs, where he acts as the liaison between the Executive Committee and the Government Affairs and Legal Affairs committees. Prior to his tenure as Vice President, Dr. Simmons served as Director of Internal Affairs.
Prior to becoming VP / Director of External Affairs, Dr. Simmons served on the MAC Board of Directors representing District 5, as Vice Chair of the Ethics and Professional Conduct Peer Review Committee, and as a member of the Legal Affairs Committee. In 2020, he and his wife, Vanessa, received the MAC’s “Community Champion Award” “in recognition and appreciation of their unselfish commitment to serving others and their community” for his efforts during the “500-year flood event” in Midland. Earlier this year, he was awarded the 2026 “Chiropractic Advocate Award” for “exceptional commitment to the profession and its future.”
A 1999 graduate of Palmer, Dr. Simmons was voted by his Palmer classmates “Most Likely to Build a Shrine to B.J. Palmer.” He has fulfilled that title. His collection includes more than four sets of the original green books, several original portable adjusting tables, and an original knee chest table from the 1900s. He currently also serves as the Michigan State Representative for Palmer College of Chiropractic’s Alumni Association. He has been a Palmer College of Chiropractic Presidents Club member since March 2003.
Dr. John Smarch of Jackson will serve as the MAC’s next Vice President / Director of External Affairs. His term will begin on January 1, 2027, and run through December 31, 2028. This will be his first term on the MAC Executive Committee.
Dr. Smarch has served on the MAC Board of Directors representing District 4 since 2017. He has also served as District 4 President and District 4 Vice President. Throughout his tenure on the Board, Dr. Smarch has served on the Government Relations Committee, Insurance Relations Committee, and Education and Programs Committee.
In 2018, Dr. Smarch was presented with the MAC’s “Rising Star” Award, “in appreciation of members who are stepping above and beyond for the chiropractic profession by taking on leadership roles.”
Dr. Smarch also serves the profession as a member of the Board of Directors of the Chiropractic Federal Credit Union (CFCU), the nation’s only financial institution founded by chiropractors for chiropractors, their employees, and their families.
A graduate of Sherman, Dr. Smarch’s journey into chiropractic care began with a deeply personal experience. After witnessing the profound impact chiropractic treatment had on his father’s health and quality of life, he knew he had found his calling. That passion led him to graduate from Sherman and establish Smarch Chiropractic in Jackson.
Our Next Chairman of the Board: Dr. Ken Murkowski, II
Outgoing MAC President Dr. Ken Murkowski, II, of Clarkston (pictured with his wife, Jamie) will serve as the MAC’s next Chairman of the Board. Like Dr. Simmons and Dr. Smarch, his term as Chair will begin on January 1, 2027, and run through December 31, 2028. The 2027-2028 term will be his fourth on the Executive Committee
At this year’s Fall Convention, Dr. Murkowski was named the MAC’s Chiropractor of the Year “in appreciation for valuable leadership, service, and dedication above and beyond the call of duty to the chiropractic profession.”
In 2024, Dr. Murkowski was elected to serve as the MAC’s tenth President. As President, he serves as the Chief Executive Officer of the MAC and is responsible for the general and active management of the business of the organization. He is also charged with ensuring that all orders and resolutions of the MAC Board of Directors are put into effect.
His tenure as president has been marked by one driving mission – to give every chiropractor in the state the opportunities (and revenue streams) to care for their patients as they see fit, as long as it’s within Michigan’s chiropractic scope of practice.
His presidency has been a period of intense negotiations with Blue Cross, focusing on payment policies that we believe breach the BCBSM Provider Participation Agreement and the 1999 and 2015 Settlement Agreements, violate federal and Michigan anti-discrimination laws, and unlawfully restrict delegation permitted under Michigan law. Under his presidency, we are fulfilling all necessary efforts to resolve these issues, and have prepared for potential legal action moving forward.
His term has also seen the introduction of legislation limiting the amount of time insurers can “charge back” adjudicated claims. We still hope this legislation can move this session, but the results of the November election will be a big factor on any legislation for the remainder of the year.
His tenure has also been distinguished by the introduction of our Member Marketing Kits, putting our members in the spotlight, raising their profiles in their communities and allowing practices to easily craft and execute effective marketing campaigns.
In 2023-2024, Dr. Murkowski served as Vice President / Director of External Affairs, acting as the liaison between the Executive Committee and the Government Relations, Legal Affairs, and Insurance Relations committees, for which he has previously served as Chair.
Prior to his tenure as Vice President, he served as Chair of the MAC Insurance Relations Committee and previously served on the Executive Committee as Director of Internal Affairs (2019-2020), overseeing the Ethics/Peer Review, Insurance, and Education and Programs Committees. He has also served as District 7 President and Vice President of District 4.
In 2016, he was named the MAC’s Rising Star as a member who is “stepping above and beyond for the chiropractic profession by taking on leadership roles.”
A second-generation chiropractor and one of three practicing chiropractors in his family, he is a graduate of Palmer.
Director of Internal Affairs, Director of Financial Affairs
The two remaining positions on the MAC Executive Committee, Director of Financial Affairs and Director of Internal Affairs, will be determined at the first meeting of the Board of Directors in 2027, after the newly elected District Representatives assume their offices. The MAC Board will elect one of their members to these offices. The two individuals so elected will continue to serve as Representative for their respective Districts.
