IDFA hosted a reception last night in Washington, D.C., to honor Connie Tipton, IDFA president and CEO, and celebrate her 35 years of service to the association and the dairy industry. In addition to a guest list that included board members, top lobbyists, association leaders, and current and former IDFA staff members, the reception featured a tribute video with high praise from dairy executives, association colleagues and members of Congress, including Sen. Pat Roberts (R-KS), Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) and Hon. John Boehner, former speaker of the House.

“If people followed her example, we would get a hell of a lot more done in Washington,” Roberts said in the video, drawing a hearty round of applause from viewers. View the six-minute tribute video below.

One of Tipton’s successes along the way included getting President Ronald Reagan to designate July as National Ice Cream Month. In recognition of this achievement and its importance to the ice cream industry, Rich and Heather Draper of The Ice Cream Club Inc. unveiled their newest flavor, “Connie’s Lemme Ma-wrangle You Pie,” combining the tart flavor of lemon with a sweet hint of meringue.

The pint cartons feature a photo of Tipton and her father with this banner, “A Father’s pride throughout a storied journey.” This new flavor will be available soon on the Ice Cream Club website.

Visit IDFA’s Facebook album to see the gallery of faces and friends who attended the event at the National Museum of Women in the Arts.