In addition to Michael Dykes, D.V.M., president and CEO of IDFA, Dairy Forum featured a slew of speakers with strong credentials and powerful positions who tackled tough topics in dairy and the country today. Three gave outstanding presentations in the general sessions.

• Stephen Ostroff, M.D., acting commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, offered an overview of the agency’s strategic food safety objectives and labeling initiatives. Read the story here.
• Tom Vilsack, recently named president and CEO of the U.S. Dairy Export Council following eight years as the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, gave a passionate presentation on the untold benefits of agriculture to America and the waiting world outside its borders. Read the story here.
• General Michael Hayden, principal at the Chertoff Group and former director of the Central Intelligence Agency and National Security Council, outlined what it means to live and do business in a tumultuous global and domestic environment. Read the story here.