MEDIA CONTACT:
Marti Pupillo
(202) 220-3535
mpupillo@idfa.org
(Washington, D.C. - November 2, 2009) Maryland and Virginia Milk Producers Cooperative Association was named the 2009 recipient of the International Dairy Foods Association's GrassRoots Action Network for Dairy (GRAND) Pioneer Award. Jay Bryant (pictured far right), CEO of Maryland and Virginia Milk Producers Cooperative Association, and Fred Calvert (center), chief operating officer of fluid operations, received the award last week from Jerry Slominski (left), IDFA senior vice president, at Worldwide Food Expo in Chicago.
Each year the GRAND Pioneer Award recognition program honors a member company for its political involvement activities on priority dairy issues.
"It's important that IDFA members get the recognition they deserve for their efforts on behalf of the industry," said Slominski. "And the GRAND Pioneer Award is an excellent way to highlight their involvement."
Maryland and Virginia Milk Producers Cooperative Association has made advocacy a top priority this year. By attending IDFA's annual Washington Conference, hosting plant tours for members of Congress at its processing facilities and diligently maintaining important relationships on Capitol Hill, Maryland and Virginia Milk Producers Cooperative Association has shown a commitment to improving legislation that affects the dairy industry.
IDFA congratulates Maryland and Virginia Milk Producers Cooperative Association for its well-deserved win this year.
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The International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA), Washington, D.C., represents the nation's dairy manufacturing and marketing industries and their suppliers, with a membership of 550 companies representing a $110-billion a year industry. IDFA is composed of three constituent organizations: the Milk Industry Foundation (MIF), the National Cheese Institute (NCI) and the International Ice Cream Association (IICA). IDFA's 220 dairy processing members run more than 600 plant operations, and range from large multi-national organizations to single-plant companies. Together they represent more than 85 percent of the milk, cultured products, cheese and frozen desserts produced and marketed in the United States.