North American Intercollegiate Dairy Challenge® (NAIDC) recently elected new leadership, including four new board members and Executive Committee.
As described in the NAIDC mission statement, the board focus is to “Develop tomorrow’s dairy leaders and enhance the progress of the dairy industry, by providing education, communication and networking among students, producers, and agribusiness and university personnel.”
In the 16-year history of Dairy Challenge, members of the Board of Directors have provided leadership as the program has expanded significantly and evolved to meet ever-changing dairy dynamics. Dairy Challenge began in 2002 with 56 students from 13 colleges in one national event. Now, more than 500 dairy students have opportunities to participate each year through the national competition, the Dairy Challenge Academy and four regional events. Representing the countless volunteers and supporters of these events, the Board of Directors includes a mix of university professionals, dairy producers and industry sponsors.
Newly elected to the 15-person volunteer NAIDC Board of Directors include:
Kristi Fiedler, Genex Cooperative, Shawano, Wisc.
These four new board members succeed retiring directors: Chris Dei, Sierra Vista Nutrition Consulting; David Prentice, DVM, M.S., Elanco Animal Health; Amy te Plate-Church, Look East; and Christie Underwood, Ph.D., Land O’Lakes Purina Mills.
The NAIDC Executive Committee for 2017-18 includes:
· Chair: Chad Wright, DVM, Bidart Dairy, Bakersfield, Calif.
· Vice Chair: Maurice Eastridge, Ph.D., The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
· Associate Vice Chair: Mark McCulloch, Phibro Animal Health Corporation, Millport, N.Y.
· Finance Chair: David Whitlock, Select Sire Power, Floyd, Va.
· Publicity Chair: Renee Smith, Virtus Nutrition, Bakersfield, Calif.
· Program Chair: Wanda Emerich, William H. Miner Agricultural Research Institute, Chazy, N.Y.
· Alumni Programs Chair: Mike Westphal, Cargill Animal Nutrition, Owatonna, Minn.
Continuing NAIDC board members include:
· David Combs, Ph.D., University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisc.
· Mark Hanigan, Ph.D., Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va.
· Raechel Sattazahn, AgChoice Farm Credit, Mechanicsburg, Pa.
· Glen Staebner, Valley Ag Software, Jonesville, N.C.
About Dairy Challenge
NAIDC is an innovative event for students in dairy programs at North American post-secondary institutions. Its mission is to develop tomorrow’s dairy leaders and enhance progress of the dairy industry by providing education, communication and networking among students, producers, and agribusiness and university personnel. Over its 16-year national history, Dairy Challenge has helped prepare more than 6,000 students for careers as farm owners and managers, consultants, researchers, veterinarians or other dairy professionals.
In addition to the national competition and Dairy Challenge Academy held in March/April, four regional contests are held in late fall and winter; details are at Dairy Challenge.