Jeffrey J. Kaneb is Executive Vice President of HP Hood LLC in Lynnfield, MA, and has been with the company since the Kaneb family purchased HP Hood in 1995. Mr. Kaneb started with the company working in the distribution function, and currently oversees several aspects of HP Hood’s operations, including plant operations, distribution, sales, and marketing. Prior to his tenure at HP Hood, Mr. Kaneb worked at AT Kearney as a management consultant.

Mr. Kaneb is also a member of the board of directors of St. John’s Preparatory School in Danvers, MA, and former Chairman of the Board of Catholic Charities Archdiocese of Boston.

Mr. Kaneb received his BA from Rice University and his MBA from Harvard University.

Mr. Kaneb, his wife and two children reside in Manchester, Massachusetts.

Ed Mullins is Executive Vice President and Chief Executive Officer of Prairie Farms Dairy. He began his career with Prairie Farms in 1980 and is only the fourth chief executive in the 80-year history of the Illinois based farmer-owned dairy cooperative. Before his appointment to the CEO position in 2006, Mullins served in various key executive management positions within the company.

Mullins sits on several industry-related boards including IDFA, IICA, MilkPEP, Milk Industry Foundation, and Missouri Grocers Association. In July 2018, he was inducted into the Missouri Grocers Association Hall of Fame. In 2014, Mullins received the IDFA Soaring Eagle Award for his extraordinary leadership in the dairy industry.

Jay Bryant is the Chief Executive Officer of the Maryland & Virginia Milk Producers Cooperative.

A native of Boonville, N.C., Jay grew up on his family’s 70-cow dairy farm, which he returned to after graduating from North Carolina State University in 1984 with a bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Economics. He operated the family dairy in partnership with his father for three-years, after which he entered the world of milk marketing as a field representative for Carolina-Virginia.

Jay moved up the cooperative ladder into the field of milk marketing in 1992 and by 1997 he was named General Manager. He held that position until 1999 when Carolina-Virginia merged with Maryland & Virginia Milk Producers. Jay served as the director of milk marketing at Maryland & Virginia until 2002 when he was appointed CEO.

Ken Jorgensen is an eleven-year H-E-B Partner and is currently the Director of Dairy Operations within the Manufacturing Division. He has worked in the Dairy industry for 34 years across the United States ranging from Washington to Florida and resides in Texas. The foundation of his experience comes from 11 years as a Plant Engineer. Ken and his team provide many of the staple products for our H-E-B store operations including: milk, ice cream, yogurt, cottage cheese, sour cream, orange juice, and a number of UHT products.

Ken received his Bachelor of Science in Finance from Boise State University. He has held Refrigeration and Boiler Licenses along with completing the first year of the Electricians Apprentice Program in the Pacific Northwest.

Ken is a past President of the Florida Dairy Products Association and is currently a board member serving on IDFA’s International Ice Cream Association, The Texas Dairy Products Institute in addition to serving as a MilkPEP Industry Representative. Ken has coached a wide range of sports: hockey, baseball, and basketball to name a few.

Ken is supported by Becky and kids, Andrew, Jamee, Katelyn, and Kyle. The family enjoys going to the gym, golfing, hunting and traveling to new places.

Lawrence C. Webster, Chief Executive Officer of Upstate Niagara Cooperative, Inc. and General Manager of O-AT-KA Milk Products joined the cooperative in 2005.

Larry earned his degree in Food Science at the University of Kentucky. Following three years of military service in the U.S. Army and being discharged as a Captain, Larry worked on his Master’s Degree in Finance at Southern Illinois University

Larry’s career of more than 45 years has been spent working exclusively in agribusiness, and has spanned three Fortune 500 companies and one large independent. His employment began with the Kroger Company in Cincinnati, Ohio, the Southland Corporation in Dallas, Texas, followed by Labatt’s and Cloverland/Greenspring in Pennsylvania and Maryland, before joining Upstate Niagara.

In addition, Larry currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Milk Industry Foundation and the National Milk Producers Federation

Larry is married with three children and eight grandchildren.

Melissa Hughes earns the trust and respect of internal and external stakeholders alike with her ability to analyze and synthesize complex information, assess and manage risk, and coalesce support for her ideas and initiatives. She is skilled at building broad coalitions, possesses a keen instinct for identifying leadership potential, and is particularly committed to mentoring and championing women at all levels of management. Cool-headed and clear-eyed, Melissa is unafraid to challenge long-held beliefs, ask hard questions, and move forward boldly with clarity and confidence to protect the health of an organization and promote its mission.

As General Counsel for CROPP Cooperative for over 15 years, Melissa has worked beside the CEO to achieve double-digit growth from 500 family farms to over 2,000, and from $150 million dollars in annual sales to over $1 billion. As Chief Mission Officer, she oversees Legal and Government Affairs, Cooperative Stewardship, and Mission & Messaging, as well as serving on the cooperative’s Executive Management Team. As CMO, Melissa convenes an influential and much-anticipated annual gathering of leadership that brings together a diverse group of farmer-owners and employees to address how best to keep the cooperative business moving forward while assuring that its mission remains at the heart of its business decisions.

Prior to joining CROPP Cooperative, Melissa was an associate attorney at the firm of Holland & Hart, the preeminent Rocky Mountain region firm, practicing in the areas of natural resources, construction litigation, and corporate business transactions. Melissa earned her Juris Doctorate from the University of Wyoming – Laramie, where she graduated Summa Cum Laude, and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Georgetown University. Melissa’s passion for saving family farms through organic agriculture led her to serve on the boards of the Environmental Working Group and the Organic Trade Association where she was a three-term Board President. She was appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture to the USDA Advisory Committee on Agriculture & Biotechnology in the 21st Century.

Miriam Erickson Brown began her career at Anderson Erickson Dairy (A.E.) in the marketing department of the company founded by her grandfather. She has held various positions at A.E., and in 2006 she was named President and Chief Executive Officer. As CEO of AE Dairy, Miriam has focused on building upon the strong legacy of commitment to quality and excellence. She has developed a new leadership team and set the vision for product innovation and branding.

Miriam has invested much of her career representing independently owned dairies through leadership on dairy industry boards. In 1994 she was selected by the Secretary of Agriculture to join the Milk Processor Education Program (Milk PEP) Board where she has held many leadership positions. Miriam also served as chair of the International Dairy Foods Association and the Milk Industry Foundation Boards. She is a board member of The Innovation Center for US Dairy. In 2007, she was the recipient of the International Dairy Foods Association’s Soaring Eagle Award for extraordinary service in the dairy industry.

Miriam enjoys speaking about the health benefits of milk, as well as creating (and of course, tasting) new AE yogurt flavors. She is married and lives in Urbandale, Iowa, with her husband and her golden retrievers.

As executive vice president of DFA and president of DFA Dairy Brands, Pat is responsible for the day-to-day business of DFA’s retail brands, including Borden Cheese, Keller’s Butter, Plugra Butter, Kemps, Cass Clay Creamery, Guida’s Dairy, Oakhurst Dairy, Dairy Maid Dairy, Cumberland Dairy and more. Pat has worked for DFA since 2009. 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.

Brian Linney has spent his career marketing Agricultural Products in various Sales Management positions and Senior Leadership roles. His current Position is Chief Operating Officer for Maryland and Virginia Milk Producers based in Reston, VA. The Dairy Farmer Owned Cooperative Markets Dairy Ingredients to large manufacturers and Consumer Products primarily focused on fluid milk products under the Maola brand. Prior to working at Maryland and Virginia Brian worked for 14 years at Darigold where he was the Senior Vice President of Consumer Products. Brian has a degree in Business Administration and Economics from St. Mary’s College in Moraga, CA.

Brian is a current member of Several Industry Boards including Milk Pep, American Dairy Products Institute, Virginia Milk Commission, Fluid Milk Board IDFA and Ingredients Board IDFA.

Carmine C. Catalana IV is President of Cumberland Dairy. He along with his brothers, Frank and David Catalana are part of the third generation family that operates Cumberland Dairy. The company was founded in 1933 by their grandfather, Charles Catalana and further developed by their father Carmine Catalana III. Carmine’s daughter Rachel and son Nick have joined the company and are part of the family’s fourth generation.

In 2017, the company became “family led and farmer owned” as Cumberland Dairy became part of Dairy Farmers of America (DFA), the largest dairy cooperative in the United States.

Cumberland Dairy produces extended shelf life dairy products and counts many major retail, restaurant ( McDonald’s , Wawa , Rita’s , Shake Shack ) and foodservice companies as well as many other dairies as their valued customers. Specialty ESL products are produced at Cumberland’s processing facilities and distributed throughout the United States and in several foreign countries.

The family has retained ownership of Innovation Foods, a specialty processor of Probiotic juice and other products aimed at the health and wellness industry.

Carmine graduated from St. Augustine Preparatory School in 1976 and continued his Augustinian education at Merrimack College where he earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration in 1980. He attended graduate business classes at Haub School of Business at St Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, PA.

Carmine is a member of the Northeast Chapter of the Young Presidents Organization (YPO). He is past Chair of the McDonald's Supplier Advisory Council and currently Treasurer of the McDonald’s Dairy Council ,a member of the Board of Directors of the Milk Industry Foundation and member of the Board of Trustees at The Ronald McDonald House of Southern New Jersey. He holds other leadership positions with various trade, community and church organizations.

Carmine, his wife Dana and their family reside in Vineland, NJ. They have three adult children, Rachel, Nicholas and Rebekah.

Ann Gent is senior vice president and general manager of Food & Beverage, North America for Ecolab Inc., the global leader in water, hygiene and energy technologies and services that provide and protect clean water, safe food, abundant energy and healthy environments. Ecolab’s 40,000 employees deliver comprehensive programs and services to the food, energy, healthcare, industrial and hospitality markets in more than 160 countries.

In her current position, Ms. Gent is responsible for Ecolab’s business in the dairy, brewing, beverage, food processing and protein industries. Previously, Ann was vice president of U.S. plant sales leading a team of 400 field and technical support associates. Prior to assuming this role, Ms. Gent was vice president and general manager for Food & Beverage ANZ leading a team of 150 associates in Australia, New Zeeland, and Fiji. Gent joined Nalco (an Ecolab Company) in 1992 as a Product Specialist in the Paper Services Division.

Ms. Gent earned a master’s degree from DePaul University, and graduated from Miami University, with Bachelor of Science degree Chemistry.

Richard is a Board member of the AllStar Dairy Association, the Milk Industry Foundation, the Dairy Council of California and the Associated Independent Dairies of America. When he was 17 years old he milked cows at the Bar 20 Dairy, which is a supplier of raw milk to Producers Dairy Foods. Richard graduated from Fresno State University with a degree in Business Administration and is married with four sons and ten grandchildren. He has worked at Producers Dairy Foods for over 50 years, from bottle washer to Chairman. Richard is involved with many local organizations, such as a past chairman and member of the Foundation Board of Childrens Hospital Central CA, the Fresno Madera Farm Credit Association, the Institute of Family Business at California State University, the World President’s Organization, and the Boys Scouts of America.

As the President of Premium Dairy for Danone North America, Domenic Borrelli oversees the company’s organic dairy business including fluid milk, cheese and yogurt for brands such as Horizon Organic and Wallaby Organic. His work includes business leadership and strategy, helping to drive Danone North America’s mission of bringing health through food to as many people as possible.

Borrelli brings more than 23 years of food and beverage experience to IDFA’s Fluid Milk Board, including work in sustainable meat, refreshment beverages, coffee, cheese, cereal and ready-to-eat meals. Prior to his time with Danone North America, Borrelli served as Vice President and General Manager of Sustainable Meats for North America with Maple Leaf Foods, driving growth of sustainably raised protein. Before this, Borrelli was at Kraft Foods Group for over 19 years, providing leadership and driving growth in roles including Vice President, Marketing for Refreshment Beverages for Capri Sun, Kool Aid and Crystal Light, along with Vice President, Marketing for Coffee, where he was responsible for business leadership of brands like Maxwell House, Gevalia and Tassimo, in addition to Kraft Coffee’s E-Commerce business. Borrelli also spent time in Kraft’s Canadian Business Unit leading marketing and business efforts for iconic brands including Kraft Macaroni & Cheese, Jell-O and the company’s portfolio of grocery products.

Borrelli earned a Bachelor of Science degree and an MBA from York University in Toronto, Canada, and has served on the Board of the National Coffee Association of America.

Mike Giles is General Manager of Plains Dairy, LLC, located in Amarillo Texas and owned by Affliated Foods, Inc. In this role, Mike is responsible for all sales and operations, and reports to the CEO and the dairy board of Affliated.

Prior to joining Plains Dairy, Mike worked six for HEB, managing an ice cream plant in San Antonio, Tx., was self employed in the real estate business for a year and a half, and before that spent 31 years with Brookshire Grocery company, starting at the dairy plant and ending his career there as Vice President of Manufacturing over five dairy, beverage, and food plants.

Mike also currently serves as President of the Texas Dairy Products Institute, and is a member of the IDFA Fluid Milk segment board.

Mike received a bachelor’s degree in biomedical science from Texas A&M University, and then spent three more years there working on his MS in Food Science.

Mike lives in Amarillo, Texas with his wife and partner of 36 years, Judy. They have 7 children and 8 grandchildren, all in Texas.

As CEO of the dairy industry’s most iconic heritage brand, Tony Sarsam leads more than 3,300 employees across 13 plants and nearly 100 branches. Tony joined Borden in March 2018 and has since focused on building a strong People First culture as the company renews its commitment to innovation and growth.

With more than three decades of experience in the food industry, Tony has come to understand every side of the consumer-packaged goods business – from the plant floor to the C-suite. Before joining Borden, Tony served as CEO of Ready Pac Foods. His People First approach to leadership helped Ready Pac grow by more than 60% and establish a dominant 80% share of the complete meal salad category. Tony’s success at Ready Pac attracted great interest and culminated in the sale of the business to Bonduelle in 2017.

Prior to leading Ready Pac, Tony was President of the Nestlé USA Direct Store Delivery Company, which serves Nestlé frozen pizza and ice cream businesses and is the world’s largest frozen DSD sales organization. He has also served as Executive Vice President of Sales and Operations at Dreyer’s, which was acquired by Nestlé. Tony began his career at PepsiCo, where he started as an associate engineer and progressed through a series of leadership roles, including Plant Manager, Director of Finance and Region Vice President for Sales and Distribution in the West.

Tony holds a Bachelor of Science, Engineering degree in Chemical Engineering from Arizona State University and a Master of Science in Management from Stanford. He resides in Dallas with his wife and children.

Joe Oberweis is the 4th generation president and CEO of Oberweis Dairy, the family business he has led since 2007. Oberweis is widely recognized for its excellent ice cream and delicious milk which is packaged primarily in returnable glass bottles. Oberweis products are sold through its own chain of ice cream stores, its home delivery business, and grocery stores.

Mr. Oberweis earned a BS in Business Administration from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and an MBA at the esteemed Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.

Joe has been an elected member of his local Board of Education, an officer and director of the Northern Illinois Food Bank, and a director of the Compassion Foundation. He is currently a trustee of the Oberweis Foundation, a member of Young Presidents Organization (YPO), and a member of the Economic Club of Chicago (“ECC”).

He and his better half, Lauren McLeod, reside in Batavia, Illinois, with their 7 children.