Dairy farmer board members of Midwest Dairy Association have elected officers at the corporate level and in the organization's eight divisions. Jerry Messer, Richardton, N.D., will continue to lead the organization as corporate chairman. Allen Merrill, Parker, S.D., and Bill Siebenborn, Trenton, Mo., will extend their service as vice chairman and first vice chairman, respectively. Additional executive team members are Ken Herbranson of Clitherall, Minn., secretary, and Dan Grunhovd of Gary, Minn., treasurer.


Corporate board officers are, from left: Dan Grunhovd, Allen Merrill, Jerry Messer and Ken Herbranson. Not pictured: Bill Siebenborn

Elections took place at the Midwest Dairy Annual Meeting held in conjunction with a national dairy promotion forum in Scottsdale, Ariz.

The Corporate board also elected Lowell Mueller, Hooper, Neb., to represent on the United Dairy Industry Association (UDIA) board, replacing Doug Nuttelman of Stromsburg, Neb., who vacated his seat earlier in 2015. Other national UDIA directors for Midwest Dairy elected last fall include Messer and Merrill, as well as:

• Pam Bolin, Clarksville, Iowa;
  
• Christine Sukalski, LeRoy, Minn.; and
  
• Suzanne Vold, Glenwood, Minn.

New members elected by their Divisions to the Midwest Dairy Corporate board include:

• David Jarden, Staunton, Ill.;
  
• Tom Walsh, DeGraff, Minn.;
  
• Rita Young, Plainview, Minn.;
  
• Mary Temme, Wayne, Neb.;
  
• Kenton Holle, Mandan, N.D.; and
  
• Marv Post, Volga, S.D.;

Division Board officers and new members are as follows:

lllinois Division

• Chairman – Bill Deutsch, Sycamore;
  
• Vice Chairman – David Jarden, Staunton;
  
• Secretary – Ardath DeWall, Shannon; and
  
• Treasurer – Glen Meier, Ridott.

Kappy Koch, Tremont, was seated as a new member of the Illinois Division board.

Iowa Division

• Chairman – Dan Hotvedt, Mabel, Minn.;
  
• Vice Chairman – Bruce Brockshus, Ocheyedan;
  
• Secretary – Pam Bolin, Clarksville; and
  
• Treasurer – Larry Shover, Delhi.

Joel Ysselstein, Rock Valley, Iowa, was seated as a new member of the Iowa Division Board.

Mo-Kan Division

• Chairman – Byron Lehman, Newton, Kan.;
  
• Vice Chairman – Steve Strickler, Iola, Kan.;
  
• Secretary – Donna Telle, Uniontown, Mo.; and
  
• Treasurer – Curtis Steenbock, Longford, Kan.

Minnesota Division

• Chairman – Ken Herbranson, Clitherall;
  
• Vice Chairman – Dan Grunhovd, Gary;
  
• Secretary - Suzanne Vold, Glenwood; and
  
• Treasurer – Ron Rinkel, Hillman.

The Minnesota Dairy Promotion Council, a quasi-governmental group with the same board members, elected the following:

• Chairman – Kathleen Skiba, North Branch;
  
• Vice Chairman – Barb Liebenstein, Dundas;
  
• Secretary – Debi Clasemann, Long Prairie;
  
• Treasurer – Christine Sukalski, LeRoy; and
  
• Executive member at-large – Peter Ripka, Ogilvie.

Nebraska Division

• Chairman – Lowell Mueller, Hooper;
  
• Vice Chairman – Deb Eschliman, Ericson; and
  
• Secretary/Treasurer – Dean Engelman, Jansen.

Dwaine Junck, Carroll, and Mike Amen, Norfolk, were seated as new dairy farmer members of the Nebraska Division board, while Rob Jackson, representing Grassland/West Point Dairy is a new ex officio member.

North Dakota Division

Chairman – Jerry Messer, Richardton;

Vice Chairman – Terry Entzminger, Jamestown;

Secretary – Rita Mosset, Linton; and

Treasurer – Lilah Krebs, Gladstone.

Ozarks Division

• Chairman – Nathan Roth, Mountain Grove, Mo.;
  
• Vice Chairman – Marilyn Calvin, Mt. Vernon, Mo.;
  
• Secretary – Lloyd Gunter, Conway, Mo.; and
  
• Treasurer – Alfred Million, Tahlequah, Okla.

Charles Fletcher, Purdy, Mo., was seated as a new member of the Ozarks Division board.

South Dakota Division

Chairman – Jim Neugebauer, Dimock;

Vice Chairman – Mike Frey, Claremont;

Secretary – Allen Merrill, Parker; and

Treasurer – Gary Jarding, Alexandria.

Todd Pennings, representing Davisco Foods International, was seated as a new ex officio member of the South Dakota Division board.

Midwest Dairy Council®, is a non-profit organization funded by dairy farmers to build demand for dairy products through integrated marketing, nutrition education and research. Midwest Dairy is funded by checkoff dollars from dairy farmers in a 10-state region, including Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas and eastern Oklahoma. Follow us on Twitter and find us on Facebook at Midwest Dairy.Return to Industry Buzz.

4.24.2015