MARQUETTE – John Pepin, a veteran journalist, has joined the Michigan Department of Natural Resources as deputy public information officer.

He will be based out of the DNR’s Marquette office.

Pepin joins the DNR following a 21-year career at The Mining Journal in Marquette, where he reported and wrote on a broad range of topics including local and state government, hunting and fishing, tourism and nature, national forests, state parks and agriculture.

While at The Mining Journal, Pepin also taught several writing and reporting class sessions to high school and college students; served for more than a decade as the paper’s sole reporter for the Munising Bureau; and researched and produced the paper’s content for special Upper Peninsula-centered historical publications.

“We are thrilled to have John on board, helping to shape and tell the important stories about our state’s unmatched natural and cultural resources,” said DNR Director Keith Creagh.

“Our department and partners are working hard to get more residents and visitors excited about connecting with Michigan’s natural resources, which are a critical part of the life and economy of Michigan, especially in the Upper Peninsula,” Creagh said. “John is an accomplished communicator who will play a large role in helping us do that.”

Pepin’s background includes freelance articles and photos, which have appeared in many local, regional and national magazines and newspapers including The Timber Producer, Wild Outdoor World, National Parks, Michigan Out-of-Doors and Bird Watcher’s Digest.

He also taught classroom and field birding through the Pasadena Audubon Society, the Alger Parks and Recreation Department and the Northern Michigan University Center for Lifelong Learning.

He earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from California State University in Northridge.

Pepin was born and raised in Ishpeming.