St. Paul, Minn. – Three Midwest Dairy leaders are among the newly elected officers of Dairy Management Inc.™ (DMI), the National Dairy Promotion and Research Board (NDB), and the United Dairy Industry Association (UDIA) elected to serve the industry for the 2024-25 term. They will lead national dairy checkoff strategies and programs to protect and grow sales.
UDIA officers elected were:
- Chair – Alex Peterson, Trenton, Missouri
- 1st Vice Chair – Charles Krause, Buffalo, Minnesota
- 2nd Vice Chair – Audrey Donahoe, Clayville, New York
- Secretary – Harold Howrigan, Sheldon, Vermont
- Treasurer – Kris Wardin, St. Johns, Michigan
The UDIA is a federation of state and regional dairy farmer-funded promotion organizations that provide marketing programs developed and implemented in coordination with its members. The UDIA is overseen by a board comprised of dairy farmers elected by their respective state and regional boards of UDIA member organizations.
DMI officers elected:
- Chair – Marilyn Hershey, Cochranville, Pennsylvania
- 1st Vice Chair – Mary Kraft, Fort Morgan Colorado
- 2nd Vice Chair – Audrey Donahoe, Clayville, New York
- Secretary – Jim Reid, Lake Huron, Michigan
- Treasurer – Becky Nyman, Hilmar, California
DMI manages the national checkoff program and is co-funded by NDB and UDIA.
The NDB officers elected:
- Chair – Joanna Shipp, Boones Mill, Virginia
- Vice Chair – Doug Carroll, Ryan, Iowa
- Secretary – Lolly Lesher, Bernville, Pennsylvania
- Treasurer – Justin Leyendekker, Dinuba, California
The 37-member NDB, formed in May 1984 under the authority of the Dairy Product Stabilization Act of 1983, carries out coordinated promotion and research programs to help build demand and expand domestic and international markets for dairy products.
National Dairy Council officers elected:
- Chair – Audrey Donahoe, Clayville, New York
- Vice Chair – Arlene Vander Eyk, Pixley, California
- Secretary – Jenni Tilton-Flood, Clinton, Maine
- Treasurer – Mike Ferguson, Senatobia, Mississippi
Midwest Dairy® represents 4,400 dairy farm families and works on their behalf to build dairy demand by inspiring consumer confidence in our products and production practices. We are committed to Bringing Dairy to Life! by Giving Consumers an Excellent Dairy Experience and are funded by farmers across a 10-state region, including Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas and eastern Oklahoma. For more information, visit MidwestDairy.com, and follow us on Facebook and YouTube.