ORLANDO, FLA. — The International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) added Nestle S.A. senior vice president and chief procurement officer Patricia D. Stroup, as well as Leprino Foods Company president and chief executive officer Mike Durkin, to the organization’s executive council.
IDFA announced Stroup, who also is CEO for Nestrade S.A., was selected to chair the council, while Durkin will serve as the council’s vice chair.
Executives from throughout the dairy foods industry constitute the association’s executive council, which focuses on IDFA business and operations.
Additionally, IDFA announced the new directors for its five industry segment boards – fluid milk, ice cream, cheese, yogurt and cultured products, and dairy-derived ingredients. Per IDFA, board members are experts and executives who “who drive policy and strategy alongside the association’s leadership.”
IDFA’s nomination and governance committee considers nominations to the executive council and segment boards, which make up the organization’s governance structure.
Michael Dykes, the association’s president and CEO, said the executives were chosen “based on their demonstrated leadership, business expertise and dedication to the future success of IDFA and the dairy industry in the United States.” He added that their “knowledge, experience and input will guide our regulatory, legislative, communications, membership and people-related services.”
Executive council members
Officers (terms ending January 2025)
Chair: Patricia D. Stroup, senior vice president and chief procurement officer, Nestle S.A./CEO, Nestrade S.A.
Vice chair: Mike Durkin, president and CEO, Leprino Foods Company
Secretary: Terry Brockman, chief business officer, Saputo Dairy Division USA
Treasurer: David Nelsen, group vice president of manufacturing, Albertsons Companies
Immediate past chair: David Ahlem, CEO and president, Hilmar Cheese Company, Inc.
Fluid milk board (terms ending January 2024)
Chair: Miriam Erickson Brown, chair & CEO, Anderson Erickson Dairy Company
Vice chair: Jay Bryant, CEO, Maryland and Virginia Milk Producers Cooperative Association, Inc.
Ice cream board (terms ending January 2024)
Chair: Ricky Dickson, CEO and president, Blue Bell Creameries, LP
Vice chair: Andy Jacobs, CEO, Turkey Hill Dairy, Inc.
Cheese board (terms ending January 2024)
Chair: Doug Wilke, CEO, Valley Queen Cheese
Vice chair: Kurt Epprecht, owner/vice president, cheese quality and dairy policy, Great Lakes Cheese Co., Inc.
Yogurt and cultured products board (terms ending January 2024)
Chair: Trevor Farrell, senior vice president and chief commercial officer, Americas, Schreiber Foods, Inc.
Vice chair: Courtney Bidney, director, global scientific and regulatory affairs, General Mills
Ingredients board (terms ending January 2025)
Chair: Daragh Maccabee, CEO, Idaho Milk Products
Vice chair: Gustavo Acosta Garza, director global purchasing, dairy, Abbott Nutrition
Executive council directors
- Terms ending January 2026
Joe Diglio, president and CEO, Michigan Milk Producers Association
Tim Doelman, CEO, fairlife, LLC
Jeff Gentine, president and CEO, Masters Gallery Food’s Inc.
Tim Leviny, SVP, dairy foods GDI and international, Land O’Lakes Inc.
Matt McClelland, CEO/executive VP, Prairie Farms Dairy, Inc.
Scott McGinty, chief executive officer, Aurora Organic Dairy
Brian Phelan, CEO, Glanbia Nutritionals, Glanbia plc
Greg Schlafer, CEO, Foremost Farms USA
- Terms ending January 2025
Rich D. Draper, CEO, The Ice Cream Club, Inc.
Robin Dubuc, vice president, manufacturing operations and network optimization, The Kroger Company
Louie P. Gentine, CEO, Sargento Foods Inc
Mike Wells, president and CEO, Wells Enterprises, Inc.
- Terms ending January 2024
Peter Cotter, president and CEO, Lactalis Heritage Dairy
Dennis Rodenbaugh, president and CEO, Dairy Farmers of America, Inc.
Gold Business Partner Representatives on Executive Council (term ending January 2026)
Seth Teply, president and CEO, US and Canada, Tetra Pak, Inc.
