Iowa State Dairy Association Announces New Executive Director

Iowa State Dairy Association (ISDA) has named Jeff Creger as their new executive director. Creger will be joining ISDA’s current associate director Mitch Schulte to lead public policy and government relation strategies to advance the success of ISDA members.

“We are excited to have Jeff join the ISDA family working to represent the 1,360 dairy farms in Iowa,” stated Larry Shover, Chair of the Board. “His experience in agriculture and sales will be a true asset in building relationships to advance our mission of facilitating, growing and promoting the Iowa Dairy Industry.”

Agriculture has been long a part of Creger’s life since he grew up on a family farm in Central Iowa. He received his bachelor’s degree from Iowa State University in agriculture business with an emphasis in sales and marketing. Prior to joining ISDA, he spent most of his career working with agronomy for Monsanto, Titan Pro SCI and Valent USA.

“One of the attributes that stands out for dairy farmers is their focus on family, and I am excited to join this family,” Creger said. “I am ready to work for dairy farmers to be their face and voice out in the countryside and at the Capitol. I have a lot to learn, but am ready to grow membership, strengthen relationships and build a better future for dairy in Iowa.”
Creger can be contacted at:

Jeff Creger

Executive Director

(641) 381-0030

jeffcreger@iowadairy.org

Kurt Wierda Elected New Chairman Of Dairy Iowa

I enjoyed the opportunity to be part of the planning for 2017-18 Dairy Iowa steering committee last week. The discussion resulted in three action items that will be meaningful to the dairymen of Iowa. Including: Telling Iowa’s dairy story with social media training; conducting a comparison of benefits to processors building/expanding in the Midwest plus the states of Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana; and conducting business planning educational programs. All of these will be planned for the next 12-18 months.

Kurt Wierda from Plymouth Dairy in Le Mars is the new chairman of Dairy Iowa. He brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the position and will not hesitate to “think outside the box” for Iowa’s dairy industry.

A SWOT program will be considered for later in the year to help determine strategies and goals for the future.

In the discussion concerning the annual program scheduled for June 8, I was impressed with the idea of inviting Tom Vilsack to speak and having him meet with processors that day. It shows our dedication to working with the processors and would be a major draw for new attendees.

In addition, the traditional “producer round table” will feature technology including herds using robots.

More information will be coming from Iowa State Dairy Association as the agenda is completed. Mark June 8 on your calendars, it’s shaping up to be a top-notch program!

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