Our cooperative

Randy and his wife, Jan, operate Mooney Dairy in Rogersville, Mo. Randy was elected chairman of DFA’s Board of Directors in 2010 and is a member of DFA’s Executive Committee. He is also chairman of National Milk Producers Federation’s board and serves on the boards of Missouri State Milk Board, Dairy Management Inc., Hiland Dairy, the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy and Nationwide® Board Council. He has received multiple awards including the Missouri Dairy Hall of Honors Foundation Dairy Leader Award in 2010, the Missouri Governor’s Award for Agricultural Achievement in 2011, the Missouri Dairy Legacy Award in 2014 and Missouri State University’s Outstanding Alumnus Award in 2019. The National Council of Farmer Cooperatives also named him Director of the Year in 2014.

Dennis has been president and chief executive officer of DFA since June 2022. Prior to assuming these roles, Dennis served as executive vice president of DFA and president of council operations and Ingredient Solutions. In these capacities, he led U.S. milk marketing, global marketing operations and various other businesses. Throughout his tenure at DFA, Dennis has held several leadership positions within the organization. Notably, he served as senior vice president of DFA’s Western Fluid Division as well as vice president and chief operating officer for each of the Mideast, Mountain and Western Areas. Dennis' commitment to the dairy industry extends beyond DFA as he currently serves as chairman for the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy and on the executive board of directors for National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF). He also sits on the board of directors for Global Dairy Platform and several other DFA joint ventures and affiliates, and he is a member of the Wall Street Journal CEO Council. Prior to joining DFA, Dennis established an extensive background in mergers and acquisitions, as well as finance and investment banking. Combined with his ownership and management of agri-businesses, including dairy farms, Dennis’ diverse experience brings critical insights and capabilities to his current role.

Craig, along with his wife, Katharine, son, Cameron, and daughter, Cali, owns and operates a 700-cow dairy farm. The farm also consists of 2,000 acres of crops, a milling company, custom harvesting, custom heifer raising and manure injection businesses. Craig is a former DFA Young Cooperator, and he and Katharine have been in the dairy business for more than 40 years.

Randy milks 40 cows, raises steers and farms 290 acres of alfalfa, corn and soybeans, with the help of his wife, Carma and their two children, Marissa and Jon, who each own their own farm. Randy chairs the Pepin County Dairy Promotion Committee and serves as treasurer of the Pepin County Farm Management Club, which honored the Koller family with its Outstanding Farmer of the Year award in 2016. Randy previously served on the National Dairy Promotion and Research Board, as well as 20 years on his church council. He has also done broadcast radio sports for over 30 years.

Lilah began dairying in partnership with her husband, Alan, in 1989. Together, with their two daughters and son they milk 80 cows and operate 5,000 acres. Additionally, the Krebs raise 350 beef cows and 200 sheep. Lilah is active in the industry, serving as director on several boards, including American Dairy Association, North Dakota Division of Midwest Dairy and the corporate board of Midwest Dairy. She also is a director on the Milk Producers Association of North Dakota and is a past director of the North Dakota Beef Commission.

Byron, along with his wife, DeDee, daughter, MeLissa, and son- in-law, Steven, farms 1,000 acres of land and milks 230 cows on Le-Dr Dairy. Byron has served on Midwest Dairy’s division board since 1998 and on its corporate board for more than 10 years. In addition, he served on the United Dairy Industry Association board as a delegate for 10 years, one term on the National Dairy Promotion and Research Board and two terms on the Cattleman’s Beef Board. In 2010, Byron received the United Dairy Industry Assocation’s Service Award for 10 years of dedicated service.

Doug farms 2,500 acres of corn, soybeans and alfalfa, milks 250 cows and finishes about 2,000 Holstein steers each year with his three sons. Doug serves on the National Milk Producers Federation board and the Nebraska Dairy Council. He is a member of DFA’s Executive Committee and is a recipient of the Proud to Be a Nebraska Farmer Award. 

Tom is a fourth-generation dairy farmer. In partnership with his brother, Randy, and nephew, Russ, they milk 100 Holsteins and farm 1,200 acres of corn, soybeans, wheat, grass and alfalfa on their century farm, O-Rich Dairy. Tom serves on the board of directors for Midwest Dairy Association and Missouri Dairy, and is a member of DFA's Executive Committee.

Kristine and her husband, Mark, began dairying in 1994 with 60 cows in a rented barn. Today, they milk 350 cows and grow their own hay and corn for feed on the farm. Kristine and Mark’s four children, Kate, Adam, Seth, Ryan and Ryan’s wife, Jen, all help out on the farm. Kristine has been a member of the Minnesota Milk Producers Association, the Minnesota Dairy Leaders Roundtable, DFA’s Young Cooperator program and has served as director of the Todd-Wadena Electric Cooperative board. She currently serves on the Minnesota Division Board, Midwest Dairy corporate board and serves as a Runeberg Township clerk.

Bill, his wife, Sandy, and their four children, Brett, Beth, Doug and Greg, along with their families and 12 grandchildren, milk 240 cows and raise 200 replacement heifers at their family farm, Wil-San Registered Holsteins. They farm approximately 400 acres of mostly corn and alfalfa. Bill is a member of the Wayne County Farm Bureau, Ohio Dairy Farmers Association, Ohio Holstein Association, Holstein Association USA and St. Mary’s Church. He also coaches junior high basketball. He has been in the dairy business for more than 40 years and is very passionate about the dairy industry and maintaining the family dairy.

Joe, his wife, Carol, and their two sons, Trey and Charlie, milk about 100 registered Holsteins and registered Jerseys on their family farm, Bratcher Dairy. Joe purchased the dairy in 2014 when his parents retired. Joe and Carol are both third-generation dairy farmers and also exhibit cows at the local, state and national levels. Joe is a member of Farm Bureau, St. Sylvester Catholic Church and is current chairman of the Kentucky Holstein Cattle Club. He is passionate about making a positive difference in the dairy industry.

Larry is a fourth-generation dairy farmer currently in partnership with his eldest son, Chad. They have 150 registered Holsteins on their 200-acre farm, Southern-Hills Holsteins. The family markets breeding stock nationally and internationally, and has sold cattle and embryos worldwide. Larry and his family show and judge at local, state and national shows, and they farm alfalfa, corn and wheat. Larry is a board member for American Dairy Association Mideast and the Ohio Dairy Producers Association. He previously served as a DFA delegate for 12 years, in addition to several industry leadership roles.

Bryan, a second-generation dairy farmer, milks 200 cows on 500 acres on his farm in Fenwick, Mich. Bryan took over Hull Dairy Farm with his wife, Janet, in 1976, and his grandsons, Ryan and Drew, help with the day-to-day operations. The Hulls grow corn and hay, and they also raise Angus calves and replacement heifers. Bryan is a board member of the Dairy Marketing Program Scholarship Committee at Michigan State University, Dairy Management Inc. and the United Dairy Industry of Michigan.

Jeff, in partnership with his wife and son, manages and makes all of the feed for a herd of registered Holsteins on 300 acres. Jeff serves on the National Milk Producers Federation board and the Pennsylvania Dairy Promotion Program board. Jeff is a member of DFA’s Executive Committee. 

Kevin farms with his wife, Lisa, and his son and daughter-in-law, Kyle and Ashley. His father, Lynn, started the farm in 1958 with 10 cows. They now milk 700 cows and farm 1,000 acres. Kevin has been in the dairy industry his entire life. He is a member of the Prairie Heights FFA Alumni Association, Stroh Church of Christ and Steuben County Board of Zoning Appeals. Kevin is a member of DFA’s Executive Committee. 

John, and his wife, Nancy, milk 180 cows with a robotic milking system on their family farm in Saint Henry, Ohio. They farm 675 acres and operate a finishing hog operation. John has been in the dairy business for more than 50 years. He serves on the American Dairy Association Mideast and Ohio Dairy Producers Association boards. He is also a member of Farm Bureau, Mercer County Pork Producers, COBA/Select Sires Inc., Midwest Electric and St. Aloysius Catholic Church, where he serves as an usher.

Brad, in partnership with his brothers, nephews and son, milks 12,500 cows on four dairies. The family also farms 4,200 acres, growing corn silage and small grain silage on a double-crop rotation. The farm, Bateman’s Mosida Farms, started in 1972 with 120 cows. Brad, who is a fourth-generation farmer, began dairying in 1982. He has served on the Utah governor’s Agriculture Advisory Board, the Western States Dairy Producers Association since 1996 and on the Utah Dairy Association since 1994, where he also served as a past president. The dairy received the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy Outstanding Dairy Farm Sustainability Award in 2016. In 2024, Bateman’s Mosida Farm was named Innovative Dairy Farmer of the Year by Dairy Herd Management magazine and International Dairy Foods Association. Brad is also a member of DFA's Executive Committee.

Chris, his wife, Mary, and their son, Stratton, own and operate two dairies in Fort Morgan, Colo., where they milk 6,100 Holsteins and farm 1,055 acres. Chris serves as vice president of the Fort Morgan Reservoir and Irrigation Company board, president of the Jackson Lake board, chairman of Colorado Dairy Farmers, the state’s political action committee, and is involved in the Morgan County Farm Bureau. Chris also served on the Colorado Water Quality Control Commission for six years and is a member of DFA’s Executive Committee.

Rick, along with his wife, Carol, and sons, Eric, Greg, Marcus and Wade, milk 9,000 cows at two locations and farm 5,000 acres of corn and alfalfa near Greeley, Colo. One location is a robotic facility, which was completed in 2022 and milks almost 4,000 of their total herd. Rick and his family also operate a 4,000-head feedlot where they finish out the steers and crossbreds from the dairy. 

Ron, along with his wife, Debbie, sister, Ruth, and sons, Jason and Paul, manages a 2,800-cow family-owned dairy in La Salle, Colo. In addition to raising corn and alfalfa, they also run a cow-calf operation and small feedlot. Ron has also served on the National Dairy Promotion and Research Board and is a member of the Dairy MAX Western Dairy Association Promotion Board. 

Steve Whitesides and his wife, Abby, started their dairy farm, Whitesides Dairy, when they were right out of high school in 1978 , with just 10 cows. Today, they run the farm in partnership with their son and son-in-law, milking 7,000 cows and employing 110 people. They farm alfalfa, corn and barley  and lease land to other farmers for growing feed crops . In 2010, the Whitesides built a second dairy farm and a bottling plant in Hawaii, which they sold in 2020. The Whitesides have received numerous awards including the 2019 Dairy West Milk Quality Award, DFA’s Mountain Area dairy quality award every year since 2008 and were inducted into the Southern Idaho Livestock Hall of Fame in 2023.

Jim milks 500 cows on 1,000 acres at Double J Farms, in partnership with his wife, Juliene, and their two sons. Jim serves as chairman for the Dairy Producers of Utah, sits on Utah’s Governor’s Agriculture Advisory Board to represent dairy and serves as chairman of the Brand Board for the state of Utah. He also served as Millard County commissioner for eight years and was chairman for three of those years. He received the Millard County Conservation Farmer of the Year award in 2013.

Bruce is a fifth-generation farmer and has been dairying since 1980. In partnership with his wife, Teresa, their son, Brandon, and his wife, Rachel, Bruce milks 50 cows and grows corn, soybeans and alfalfa on 350 acres. Bartley Dairy Farm, which has been in the family since 1849, also raises its own replacements. Bruce currently serves as a director on the Pennsylvania Dairy Promotion Program board. Bartley Dairy Farm was recognized as a 2014 Dairy of Distinction by the Northeast Dairy Farm Beautification Program. 

Tom, a first-generation dairy farmer, and his wife, Janet, began dairying in 2000, and he has since grown his operation to more than 900 cows on 1,800 acres at three locations of equal size. He raises the majority of his dairy’s replacement heifers and grows all of his own forage. Tom is currently the chief executive officer and a board member of AG Venture Financial Services, Inc. He served on the board of directors for St. Albans Cooperative Creamery prior to its merger with DFA.

Travis milks 990 cows in partnership with nine family members on their 2,500-acre operation, Stonyvale. Their farm houses Maine’s first methane digester, which produces enough electricity to power as many as 800 households and heat 300 New England homes. The family received the Maine Dairy Farm Family of the Year Award in 2008. Travis is also a member of DFA’s Executive Committee. 

Dean owns and operates Handyhills Farm, an eighth-generation bicentennial farm, as a joint venture with his brother, nephew and their wives. The family milks 120 cows and has 1,000 acres of corn, beans, alfalfa and grass for forage. Handyhills Farm has an 85,000 bushel grain drying and storage facility, its own soybean meal and oil processing equipment, and a recent sawmill acquisition. Dean serves on the local school board, plays trumpet and piano at church and is a graduate of the LeadNY program. 

Todd, a third-generation dairyman, milks 1,100 cows on 3,000 acres at Ivy Lakes Dairy. He began managing the dairy in 1980 and introduced three younger partners to the business in 2013. Todd serves as a director for the Greater Rochester Health Foundation. Ivy Lakes Dairy, formerly Hathorn Farms, has been named a Dairy of Distinction by the Northeast Dairy Farm Beautification Program since 1980 and has been recognized by the Empire State Milk Quality Council with the Super Milk™ Award since 1998. 

Jerrel and his wife, Alma Jean, have been dairying since 1984 on the farm started by her grandfather. On Fair Hope Farms, they care for nearly 150 livestock, milk about 60 cows and manage a broiler operation. Jerrel is a board member of National Milk Producer Federation and is an elder at Hickory Ridge Community Church. Jerrel is also a member of DFA’s Executive Committee. 

Harold and his wife, Bet, a longtime elementary teacher, are the sixth generation on their family farm. They have four adult children and five grandchildren. Harold is in business with his brothers, Lawrence and Michael, his three sons, three nephews and their families. They milk on four dairies, with approximately 350 cows on each. They raise all of their own replacement heifers and custom raise heifers for a neighbor. They crop around 3,400 acres, growing all of their own forages, dry hay and some grain. The family also has a large maple sugaring operation. Harold serves as treasurer of the New England Dairy Promotion Board. He is also a board member of Dairy Management Inc. and United Dairy Industry Association and was recently inducted into the Vermont Agricultural Hall of Fame. 

John milks 60 Holstein and Jersey cows on his farm, Diamond Valley Dairy in Myerstown, Pa, with his three sons and wife, Sharon. John has received multiple awards from the National FFA Organization and has served alongside his wife as executive director of OnFire Youth Ministries, a faith-based community initiative, for more than 25 years.

Frank’s family has operated Triple-M Farms for five generations. Frank milks 85 cows, owns a small beef operation and farms more than 750 acres of corn, oats, alfalfa and other crops. He has served as a delegate for DFA (and Dairylea Cooperative Inc. prior to its merger with DFA) for more than 20 years.

David, in partnership with his brother and son, milks 500 cows and grows grass and corn silage on 1,100 acres. He served as vice president of the Dairylea board, sat on Dairylea’s resolutions committee and participated in the Dairylea Young Farmers program. He was awarded the Pride of Dairylea Award in 2006, and his operation, Cabhi Farm, has been named a Dairy of Distinction by the Northeast Dairy Farm Beautification Program for 25 years. David also serves as the town supervisor for the town of French Creek and is the chairman of the administrative board for his local church.

Lyle is a fourth-generation dairy farmer in Clayton, N.Y. He became a partner of Wood Farms in 1993, where he milks 1,800 cows with his wife, Jennifer, and business partner, Scott Bourcy. In addition to roles with DFA, Lyle also served in leadership positions with Dairy One from 2010–2022.

Judd, a third-generation dairy farmer, operates Douglas Chambers Dairy with his mother, one of his sons and six employees. His father started the dairy in 1973. Together, the family milks 450 cows on 1,800 acres, and they raise most of their own replacement heifers. Judd also bales hay and harvests ryegrass and sorghum for silage. He serves on the Georgia Farm Bureau Dairy Advisory Committee, as secretary of the American Dairy Association of Georgia, is president of the Jones County Farm Bureau and is the Pitts Chapel Church chairman of pastor-parish relations. 

Keith, a third-generation dairy farmer, operates Long Farms with his wife, Connie. Raised on a dairy farm, Keith began sole ownership of Long Farms in 1973. He farms 3,200 acres of corn, soybeans and wheat and milks 600 cows alongside his son and grandson.

Matt milks 1,400 cows at Providence Dairy, in partnership with his father and uncle, in Climax, Ga. They purchased the farm in 1999 and grew the operation from 250 cows. They triple crop 1,000 acres of corn for silage, sorghum and ryegrass. Matt currently serves as president of the board of directors for Dairy Cooperative Marketing Association, president of the board of directors for Georgia Milk Producers and serves on the U.S. Dairy Export Council trade policy committee. Matt and his wife, Laura, have two daughters, Selah Rae and Ada Marie.

As herdsman on Ingleside Dairy Farm, Jennifer is responsible for caring for their 340 milking Holsteins. She works with her parents, brother and three full-time employees on the third-generation dairy, which includes 2,000 acres of rented and owned land. Six robotic milkers and an automatic calf feeder are currently used on the dairy. From 2009–2020, she served as coordinator for the Virginia Dairy Princess Program, and she was a fellow for Virginia Agriculture Leaders Obtaining Results (VALOR) in 2016. She formerly served as a delegate for DFA and as a member of DFA's Southeast Area Young Cooperator Steering Committee. Jennifer is also a member of DFA's Executive Committee.

Brian and his wife, Ranell, operate New Generation Dairy with 1,200 cows and farm 3,500 acres, growing corn, beans, wheat and alfalfa. Brian is a fourth-generation farmer and has been active in DFA’s Young Cooperator and Emerging Leaders programs. Brian is also a member of DFA’s Executive Committee. He is the vice president of Evansville Young Dairymen. In 2010, Brian received the Indiana Dairy Producer of the Year Award. Brian and Ranell have four children.

Buster, his wife, Beverly, and son, Jason, operate two neighboring dairies — one with 5,200 Jerseys and one with 5,500 Holsteins. Buster also has 12,000 acres of ranch land where he raises beef cattle and buffalo. In addition, he farms more than 3,000 acres of crops on a pivot irrigation system. Buster is also a member of DFA’s Executive Committee. 

Neil milks 150 cows and farms 160 acres of wheat for hay. He serves as chairman of the United Dairy Industry Association’s board, is a board member for National Milk Producers Federation and is on the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy board representing Dairy Management Inc. 

Mike and his wife, Dianne, operate Corrales Dairy in Roswell, N.M., milking 7,000 cows on 1,100 acres. While Mike is a fifth-generation farmer, he is a first-generation dairy farmer. Over the last 15 years, Mike has served as president of Zia Milk Producers, as a member of the board of directors for Farm Credit of New Mexico and as a committee member for Chaves County Farm Service Agency. He currently holds positions within Dairy MAX, CoBank® and Assurance Home Foundation and is a United Dairy Industry Association board member.

Eric is a second-generation dairy farmer, who, along with his wife, Megan, and in partnership with his parents, milks 11,000 cows on three facilities in New Mexico. The family operation also farms more than 15,000 acres and operates a 1,300-head cow-calf ranch. Eric's family raises all their replacement heifers along with beef and dairy crosses. Eric sits on the Greater Southwest Agency board.

Dan and his business partner, Clayton Winger, milk 3,800 cows and raise their heifers in southwest Kansas. The farming operation includes 1,750 acres of wheat, corn and sorghum. Dan is a member of the National Milk Producers Federation board and the Greater Southwest Agency. Dan also serves in his church, as well as a variety of civic and charitable organizations. Dan is a member of DFA’s Executive Committee.

John owns and operates H.A.W. Farms with his wife, Holly, and son, Luke. First-generation farmers, the Woelbers grow 1,000 acres of feed and raise their own replacements on their 2,800-cow operation. John previously served as vice president of the New Mexico Dairy Producers Board. The Woelbers were named New Mexico Farm Family of the Year in 2014 and were honored with the VIVA Award from the New Mexico Association of Commerce and Industry in 2006. 

Melvin has been dairying since 1981 on the farm started by his father. In 2007, Melvin and his wife, Kelley, started Medeiros Holsteins to diversify their operations and capitalize on the opportunity to market milk through DFA. One of Melvin’s sons, Melvin Jr., works on the 1,600-cow dairy, as well as owns his own dairy. Melvin’s youngest son manages the 550 acres of double-crop wheat and corn to supply all the dairy’s silage needs. Melvin serves as chair of the Agricultural Council of California’s Dairy Committee and is on the California Cares and Environmental Justice Fund Committee. He is a member of DFA’s Executive Committee. Melvin also serves on the National Milk Producers Federation Executive Committee.

Pete is in partnership with his two brothers, Eric and Neil, milking 2,800 cows and farming 2,200 acres of alfalfa, corn and rye. The family farm, Hillside Dairy, has been in business for more than 100 years. Pete is actively involved in his local community and has previously served as chairman of the Churchill County Commission for 12 years.

Leroy joined his father in dairying in 1970. Currently, he and his wife, Jennie, have help from their three sons and their families on the operation. Together, they milk about 900 cows and farm 700 acres of corn, oats, alfalfa and almonds. Previously, he served on the San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors, was a member of the San Joaquin Valley Air Quality board, served on the Sutter Tracy Hospital Board of Trustees and was appointed by California Governor Pete Wilson to the San Joaquin Fair board. Leroy was the City of Tracy Chamber of Commerce Agriculturist of the Year in 1993 and was DFA's Western Area Member of Distinction in 2010.

Perry, in partnership with his wife and parents, milks 3,200 cows. He also grows wheat and corn for silage, raises all his own replacement stock and farms almond trees on 900 acres. Perry served on the California Milk Advisory Board and as dairy chairman for the Kern County Fair. He and his family were named DFA’s Western Area Member of Distinction in 2009. Perry is a member of DFA’s Executive Committee.

Paul and his wife, Sonya, are third-generation dairy farmers, milking 3,800 cows in California’s central valley on three different dairies. On the farm, they raise their own replacement heifers, double-crop 850 acres with corn and winter forage and farm 300 acres of almond trees. Paul serves on the California Dairy Environmental Justice Fund and Dairy Cares, a non-profit focused on ensuring the long-term sustainability of California’s dairy farm families.

Alex joined DFA in 2006 and has served in numerous roles during his tenure, including previously serving as DFA’s chief legal officer. In his current position, he oversees several departments, including communications, marketing, events and experiences, public relations, innovation, research and development, corporate risk management, environmental health and safety, ethics and compliance, government and industry relations, sustainability, farm practices and human resources. Alex also has leadership responsibility for executing certain enterprise-wide decisions and initiatives, which drive DFA’s culture and performance. Additionally, he serves as secretary of DFA’s Board of Directors. Prior to joining DFA, Alex was general counsel of a global business unit at General Electric Capital. He also previously served as a special agent with the Kansas Bureau of Investigation.

Martin joined DFA in 2018 after a 25-year career of working with Fonterra™ and other New Zealand dairy cooperatives in a range of roles focused on markets in Asia, North and South America, the Middle East and Africa, Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). In his current role as president of global relations and marketing, Martin is responsible for maximizing the potential of our farmer-owners’ milk and our commercial products in the global marketplace, as well as identifying and developing emerging global markets, and fostering relationships and building partnerships to expand our global presence. Previously, Martin led DFA’s Ingredient Solutions Division, overseeing the Cooperative’s global ingredients business. Martin has extensive experience working in multiple functions of the global dairy industry, including extended supply chain, operations and manufacturing, customer relations and partnerships and government relations.

In his current role as chief operating officer of the Central Area, Jon is responsible for the overall business operations of the Area. He joined DFA in 2012 and has held various roles, including director of operations and chief operating officer of the Southeast Area. Jon has spent his entire career in the dairy industry with more than 30 years in dairy plant processing and sales, including working for Kroger® and Hiland® Dairy.

Danelle serves as DFA’s senior vice president and chief treasury officer. She is responsible for all of DFA’s banking and capital markets activities, as well as treasury, credit and accounts receivable, accounts payable, capital, real estate and mergers and acquisitions. Danelle manages DFA’s relationships with its lenders, investors and rating agencies. Danelle joined DFA more than 15 years ago, having previously worked for Morgan Stanley’s investment banking division in Chicago and Sprint’s corporate development department. Before joining DFA, she led Embarq’s finance department until it was acquired by CenturyLink®. In 2017, Danelle was recognized in Ingram’s magazine’s 40 Under Forty list, and in 2023, she was named a Woman Who Means Business by Kansas City Business Journal. She currently serves as board chair for The Children’s Place, a non-profit organization providing support to children and families within the Kansas City community that have experienced traumatic events, as well as on the board of the Kansas City chapter of the Association for Corporate Growth (ACG).

Andrew currently serves as senior vice president, chief legal officer, and general counsel of DFA. He is responsible for leading the Legal Department, which handles the legal affairs of DFA, including representation of the company and its subsidiaries and affiliates in transactions, disputes and regulatory matters, as well as providing support to all Area offices, commercial divisions, departments and plants. Andrew joined DFA in 2012 and has since served in various roles within the Legal Department. Prior to joining DFA, Andrew practiced law at the international law firm now known as Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP, and began his career at The Boeing Company. In 2015, Andrew was recognized in Ingram’s magazine’s 40 Under Forty list, and in 2011, he was included in its 20 in Their Twenties list.

In his current role as chief operating officer of the Southeast Area, Brent is responsible for the overall business operations of the Area. He joined DFA’s predecessor cooperative Milk Marketing Incorporated (MMI) in 1995 working in field operations, milk hauling and dairy farm inspections. He has held various positions at DFA including roles in transportation, membership services and procurement, and most recently as senior director of dairy procurement for the Dairy Brands Division. He also served in milk supply, operations and procurement roles for Dean Foods. In addition to his role at DFA, Brent sits on the operations committee for Dairy Cooperative Marketing Agency and Common Marketing Agency.

As chief operating officer of DFA’s Northeast Area, Karen oversees operations and milk marketing supporting DFA’s farmer-owners, managing membership services, financial strategies, crisis response and communications in the Area.

She previously served as vice president of operations and senior director of membership, providing leadership in communications, legislative affairs and membership initiatives, and has spent more than 28 years in the agriculture industry. Throughout her tenure at DFA, Karen has successfully led strategic projects, including helping to facilitate a major cooperative merger, enhancing membership programs and driving operational efficiencies across departments including sales, marketing and finance. 

A graduate of Cornell University with a bachelor’s degree in communications, Karen is an alumnus of Cornell’s LeadNY leadership program. She has served on multiple boards and committees within the industry, including the New York State Agricultural Society Foundation and LeadNY.

In her current role as chief innovation and brand officer, Kristen leads innovation and research and development for the business. She is also responsible for overseeing the Cooperative’s brand and communications strategies. Kristen serves on the boards for Milk Processor Education Program (MilkPEP) and the Center for Food Integrity (CFI). She joined DFA in 2007 as a communications associate and has served in a variety of roles supporting the organization’s strategy, communications and marketing initiatives.

As chief milk marketing officer, Corey leads milk marketing and membership operations, including overseeing DFA’s Farm Services Division and DFA’s seven Areas, working closely with the Area chief operating officers. He is focused on leading collaboration across all Areas, building greater connections and identifying synergies locally and Cooperative-wide, as well as implementing best practices and leveraging efficiencies in technology, innovation, logistics, farmer-owner engagement, farm practices, sustainability, farm services, talent development and customer engagement. Corey has been with DFA since 2004 serving in a variety of roles, most recently as senior vice president of milk marketing and membership operations. He also previously served as chief operating officer of DFA’s Mountain Area. 

With more than 25 years of experience managing human resources functions, Jack leads DFA’s Human Resources Department as chief people officer. He provides end-to-end leadership for all aspects of the people function including talent management, learning and development, talent acquisition, executive and total compensation and rewards, employee and labor relations, employee engagement and organizational development. He fosters an environment where people are engaged and empowered to deliver on our mission to deliver value to our family farm-owners as a global dairy cooperative. Jack joined DFA in 2007 as director of human resources, administration and benefits. Previously, he served as senior vice president of human resources, where he held strategic responsibility for the human resources function, with a primary focus on shared services.

As chief information officer, Jeff leads the information technology team (IT) and is responsible for the transformation, application implementations, portfolio management, continuous process improvements and program delivery across DFA. Prior to joining DFA in 2015, Jeff spent 29 years with Dean Foods in various roles, including vice president of IT corporate functions.

As chief operations officer, Brett oversees operations, engineering, quality assurance, food safety, continuous improvement and procurement for DFA’s ingredients, retail and extended shelf life/aseptic beverage businesses. Brett has more than 40 years of experience in the dairy business. He joined DFA in 2018 and has held several leadership roles in operations. Prior to joining DFA, Brett worked at Dean Foods from 1982–2017, serving as vice president of operations from 2000–2017. In 2023, Brett received the Dairy Brands Division’s first-ever President’s Award for his leadership.
 

Since joining DFA in 2008, Jackie has led the Cooperative’s public policy efforts and has played an active role in member services and community initiatives. In her current role, she leads DFA’s government affairs and industry relations and oversees the Cooperative’s sustainability strategy and farm practices team. Prior to joining DFA, Jackie spent nearly 15 years in Washington, D.C. as a congressional aide and then representing agricultural interests before Congress and regulatory agencies. She is currently chair of the board of Newtrient and also serves on the boards of National Milk Producers Federation and Cultivating New Frontiers in Agriculture.

In his current role as chief insights and optimization officer, Michael guides DFA’s strategic plan and drives performance through aligning DFA’s business units on focused collaborative efforts. Michael has worked with DFA since 2004, and he has previously served in a variety of capacities, like senior vice president of sales and marketing, vice president of milk optimization and customer relations, as well as former positions as a market specialist, market analyst, manager of supply chain systems and analysis, director of dairy marketing, vice president of dairy marketing and business planning, vice president and general manager of dairy powder ingredients and vice president of Ingredient Solutions’ sales and operations planning. 

As president of DFA’s Dairy Brands Division, Greg leads the executive leadership team to ensure the overall health of the division and drives performance for DFA’s retail products. Most recently Greg served as president of fluid milk for Dairy Brands and previously as the central and ice cream group vice president, and as president and chief executive officer of Kemps®, a farmer-owned brand of DFA, a position he held for 10 years. Greg started his career with Kemps as a route driver and worked in various sales positions, eventually assuming the role of vice president of sales and later president and CEO. He and his wife, Dawn, have two children and five grandchildren all residing in Minnesota. 
 

Julie joined DFA in 2017 with 20 years of experience in internal audit, compliance and regulatory leadership roles. In her current role of vice president leading the Ethics and Compliance Department, she is responsible for promoting a culture of integrity and ethical decision-making throughout the organization. This includes leading enterprise-wide efforts to ensure compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and policies. She also oversees the internal complaint reporting program and investigations into ethics and compliance concerns.

As president of our Cheese, Taste and Flavors Division, Ken Orf leads our teams and facilities responsible for cheese and butter production, as well as our taste and flavors business, including retail brands, food service and industrial channels. Through his 25-year career at DFA, Ken has experience across all of our commercial businesses, most recently serving as group vice president for DFA’s Dairy Brands Division. Ken currently serves on the board for the American Butter Institute.

Shawn joined DFA in 2020, and he serves as chief operating officer of DFA’s Mountain Area. His responsibilities include oversight of DFA’s Cooperative-owned transportation fleet, leading milk marketing activities and business operations management and management of Mountain Area Council operations. Previously, Shawn filled the role of director of membership and milk marketing in the Mountain Area. Shawn has more than 20 years of experience in the food and beverage industry, and he’s also an active member of the Idaho Milk Processors Association’s Board of Directors. 

As executive vice president of DFA and president of DFA’s beverage network, Pat oversees coordination and optimization across DFA’s network of beverage businesses, including extended shelf-life and aseptic beverage assets. He is also responsible for the division’s consumer brands businesses, and oversees the Ingredient Solutions Division, which manufactures dairy-based ingredients and innovative flavor solutions for customers in the food manufacturing and food service channels. Pat has worked for DFA since 2009 and has held a variety of leadership roles, including president of DFA’s legacy Fluid Milk and Ice Cream Division. Prior to coming to DFA, he spent 15 years with Dean Foods, holding several positions, including regional chief financial officer and vice president of finance for the Fresh Dairy Direct Division. 

Kim Parks is president of our Dairy Powders Division, and president of DFA Risk Management. In these roles, she is responsible for our commodity powder facilities and works across the Cooperative to maximize value to our farmer-owners, while overseeing the DFA Risk Management business that serves our farmer-owners, customers and commercial network. Kim started her career with DFA in 2005 working with DFA’s Central Area and has since held a variety of roles in supply chain, risk management, account management, general management of the cheese division and, most recently, in the commercial division of DFA. Kim grew up in the dairy industry. Her family operates a 200-cow dairy operation, and they’re DFA farmer-owners. She attended Kansas State University and earned a degree in Agribusiness.

In his current role as chief operating officer of DFA’s Mideast Area, Scott is responsible for leading milk marketing activities, overseeing business operations and managing relationships with our farmer-owners in the Mideast Area. He joined DFA in 2014 and has held various roles, most recently as senior director of accounting and finance. Prior to joining DFA, Scott served in finance leadership roles for companies in the construction, cheese conversion and poultry processing industries, among others.

As executive vice president and chief financial officer, Kevin is responsible for all finance and accounting functions, along with information technology and internal audit, and works closely with operating divisions on financial matters. He is also responsible for financial management, reporting and budgetary oversight across the organization, identifying potential risks to the business and providing recommendations for strategies to minimize those risks. He has been with DFA since 2008, serving in a variety of roles, including DFA’s corporate controller, director of internal audit and senior vice president of finance. Before that, he held the position of audit manager at Deloitte & Touche LLP, then divisional controller at Freightquote.com. He currently sits on the board for Harvesters® — The Community Food Network. 

As president of DFA’s Beverage Solutions Division, Sam oversees our national network of facilities with extended shelf-life and aseptic capabilities, including Stremicks Heritage Foods™. Sam joined Stremicks Heritage Foods in 2000, and he has played a key role in the expansion of facilities and new product development. Sam has spent his entire career at Stremicks Heritage Foods, starting in its production facility and then moving into a role in sales and operations. 

Gary has more than 35 years of dairy industry experience. He joined DFA in 2003 and has held various roles within the Western Area, including vice president of fluid milk operations and vice president of operations. In his current role as chief operating officer of the Western Area, Gary is responsible for the overall business operations of the Area. Additionally, Gary serves as president of the California Creamery Operators Association.

In his current role as chief operating officer of the Southwest Area, Tim is responsible for the overall business operations of the Area. He joined DFA in 2000 and has held various roles in the Southwest Area, most recently as vice president, as well as in sales and marketing, and manufacturing ingredients. Prior to DFA, he worked at McCormick & Company. In addition to his role with DFA, Tim sits on the boards for Dairy Products Institute of Texas, Southwest Cheese and Southwestern Cooperative Marketing Agency. He is also manager for the Greater Southwest Agency board.

Edward is responsible for the overall business and profit and loss for the Retort Solutions Division. He began his dairy cooperative career in 1986 with Associated Milk Producers in Tulsa, Okla. He joined Mid-America Dairymen in 1991 and assumed the position of vice president of contract manufacturing and business development after Mid-America Dairymen merged with DFA in 1998. Edward has spent his entire career in the dairy industry and has worked with leading food, beverage and pharmaceutical companies for more than 35 years. 

With more than 16 years of experience, Angela joined DFA in 2018 as the vice president of human resources for commercial operations. In her current role of senior vice president of human resources, she is responsible for leading teams within the department, including talent acquisition, talent management and HR business partners. Angela works with these groups to grow and develop leaders at every level who deliver excellent business and people outcomes; attract and hire industry talent; and deliver optimal workforce productivity and performance through effective and efficient teams, structure and employee and labor relations.