Patti J. Hurtgen joined the Hoard's Dairyman staff in December of 2009. In her position as Online Media Manager she is responsible for maintenance and updating of the hoards.com website, managing the Hoard's Dairyman monthly webinars and podcasts. Patti is also in charge of the organization's social media presence on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

Patti has diverse career experiences in reproductive biology, promotion and communications, providing valuable insight and experience to the team. Prior to Hoard's Dairyman, Patti was editor of the Cattle CONNECTION for over seven years, where she worked with clients, maintaining two company websites. Patti also held communications and promotions positions with Semex and Alta Genetics, and was an embryologist in the reproductive laboratory at Em Tran, Inc.

Patti was involved with the Young Dairy Leaders Institute (YDLI) program for twenty years and served as an advisory committee member for seven YDLI classes. As a past National Holstein Distinguished Junior Member, Patti reinvests her time in the programs she enjoyed in her youth. She has volunteered with the National Dairy Bowl and Dairy Jeopardy contests since 1991. Patti also coaches the local 4-H and Junior Holstein Dairy Bowl teams. The teams Patti coached were named the National 4-H Dairy Quiz Bowl Champions in 2011 and 2019 and earned Reserve National Champion honors in 2012 and 2018.

Patti was raised on her family's dairy in central California and graduated from Modesto Junior College and California State University Fresno with degrees in dairy and animal science and a minor in agriculture business. While not present on a daily basis, Patti takes an active interest in Hurtgen-Vue Dairy in Monroe, Ore., where it relocated in April 2001.

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