Washington, D.C.-based International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) and its three constituent organizations — the Milk Industry Foundation (MIF), National Cheese Institute (NCI) and International Ice Cream Association (IICA) — have elected new officers and voted on new board members.

Leading each association for the next year will be IDFA chair Mike Reidy, senior vice president of procurement, logistics and business development, Leprino Foods Co.; IDFA vice chair and MIF chair Brian Haugh, president and chief operating officer, National Dairy Holdings LP.; IDFA secretary and IICA chair Jim Green, president and chief executive officer, Kemps LLC; and IDFA treasurer and NCI chair Kevin Ponticelli, executive vice president and president of cheese and dairy, Kraft Foods North America Inc.

“With such a distinguished team of leaders in place, the associations are gearing up for an exciting, productive year on many fronts,” says Connie Tipton, IDFA president and chief executive officer. “We appreciate the commitment that these volunteer officers and directors are making to advance the entire dairy industry.”

The IDFA board of directors has agreed to change the position of IDFA chairman by allowing the election of candidates who have previously served as leaders of one of the constituent organizations. Previously, the IDFA chairmanship rotated among the chairs of the three organizations every year, requiring the IDFA chairman to hold two positions concurrently. The recent board action retained the one-year term of service for the IDFA chairman and the automatic rotation among the three constituent organizations.

This year marks NCI’s turn in the rotation for IDFA chairman, leading to the election of Reidy, who was NCI chairman last year. The 2007-08 term will be filled by a past MIF leader, and the 2008-09 term will be held by a former IICA leader. The chairmen of MIF, NCI and IICA will continue to be elected by their respective board members for two-year terms.

To recognize the very best in dairy marketing programs, Washington, D.C.-based International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) and Dairy Field magazine are once again sponsoring the 2007 Achieving Excellence Awards. Entry brochures and forms are being sent to industry marketers and are available online at www.idfa.org. Processors can choose among 60 different award categories, from television ads to packaging designs. All category winners are eligible to win the Best Overall Award for Marketing Excellence, the top prize for marketing and advertising in the dairy industry. Also included in the entry brochure is the announcement of a new awards program for Milk Processor Education Program (MilkPEP) contributors — The MilkPEP Awards. The awards will showcase those milk processors who are using the MilkPEP programs to their fullest extent. A leading panel of advertising, promotional and editorial experts from the dairy industry will judge this year’s entries. Judging will be based on creativity, clarity of message and business results. Winners will receive their awards at a special recognition luncheon at the SmartMarketing conference on March 15 in Las Vegas.