IDFA welcomed executives from California Dairies, Inc. (CDI), one of the Milk Industry Foundation’s newest members, for a briefing on Monday that included an overview of IDFA and a discussion on economic policy, trade activities and the Food Safety Modernization Act. CDI is the largest member-owned milk marketing and processing cooperative in California, producing 47 percent of California’s milk and nine percent of the U.S. milk supply. The co-op accounts for 13 percent of all U.S. dairy exports.

The CDI attendees were:  

  • John Azevedo, Chairman, CDI Board
  • John Moons, 1st Vice Chair, CDI Board
  • Ed Koetsier, Secretary, CDI Board
  • Dennis Areias, CDI Board member
  • Charlie DeGroot, CDI Board member
  • Mike Mellema, CDI Board member
  • Paul Pacheco, CDI Board member
  • Simon Vander Woude, Chairman, CDI PAC
  • Andrei Mikhalevsky, President and CEO
  • Eric Erba, Senior Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer
  • Darrin Monteiro, Director of Member Relations

(L to R) Neil Moran, IDFA senior vice president, administration, finance & Trade show. ; Beth Hughes, IDFA director of international affairs; Eric Erba, senior vice president and chief strategy officer; Ed Koetsier, secretary, CDI Board; John Moons, 1st vice chair, CDI Board; John Azevedo, chairman, CDI Board; Simon Vander Woude, Chairman, CDI PAC; Connie Tipton, IDFA president and CEO Mike Mellema, CDI Board member; Darrin Monteiro, director of member relations; Charlie DeGroot, CDI Board member; Dennis Areias, CDI Board member; Andrei Mikhalevsky, president and CEO; Paul Pacheco, CDI Board member; Bob Yonkers, IDFA vice president and chief economist; and Ruth Saunders, IDFA vice president of policy and legislative affairs.

(L to R) Neil Moran, IDFA senior vice president, administration, finance & trade show; Beth Hughes, IDFA director of international affairs; Eric Erba, CDI senior vice president and chief strategy officer; Ed Koetsier, secretary, CDI Board; John Moons, 1st vice chair, CDI Board; John Azevedo, chairman, CDI Board; Simon Vander Woude, Chairman, CDI PAC; Connie Tipton, IDFA president and CEO; Mike Mellema, CDI Board member; Darrin Monteiro, CDI director of member relations; Charlie DeGroot, CDI Board member; Dennis Areias, CDI Board member; Andrei Mikhalevsky, CDI president and CEO; Paul Pacheco, CDI Board member; Bob Yonkers, IDFA vice president and chief economist; and Ruth Saunders, IDFA vice president of policy and legislative affairs.


Just last month, Andrei Mikhalevsky, CDI president and CEO, testified before members of the U.S. House Committee on Ways and Means Subcommittee on Trade to outline the significant contributions the dairy industry makes to the U.S. economy. He highlighted the potential for continued global growth and called for eliminating current trade barriers that impede the industry’s efforts to meet the burgeoning demand for U.S. dairy products around the world.

For more information, contact Heather Soubra, IDFA director of executive office and special projects, at hsoubra@idfa.org.