Van works with local Extension staff in eleven southeastern Michigan counties conducting farm and firm management educational programs. Van provides south east Michigan leadership to the MSU TELFARM financial records and business analysis program which is a cooperative effort designed to provide useful income tax and business analysis information to help not only individual producers but the entire Michigan agricultural industry. The system facilitates monitoring of financial progress and identifies strengths and weaknesses within the business.

Van is currently co-chair of the Economic Development AoE team. In this capacity he has led the Rural Retailer Program and is the statewide coordinator for the FastTrac series. These programs involve him with training for a variety of small businesses.

Van also works with local staff in areas of business profitability analysis, feasibility of enterprise expansions, income tax planning, estate planning, business organization structure, inner-generational farm and small business transfer, commodity marketing, PA116, USDA government programs and training of local extension agents.