Leading each association for the next year will be: IDFA Chair Paul Kruse, CEO and president, Blue Bell Creameries; IDFA Vice Chair and NCI Chair Gary Vanic, president and CEO, Great Lakes Cheese Co. Inc.; IDFA Secretary and MIF Chair Paul Bikowitz, president, Heartland Farms; and IDFA Treasurer and IICA Chair Tim Kahn, president and CEO, Dreyer's Grand Ice Cream Inc. “With such a distinguished team of leaders to guide our efforts, IDFA is certainly looking forward to an exciting and productive year ahead,” said Connie Tipton, IDFA president and CEO. “We appreciate the commitment that these volunteer officers and directors are making to keep the entire dairy industry moving forward.”
The IDFA chairmanship rotates among former leaders of the three constituent organizations every year. This year marks IICA’s turn in the rotation for IDFA chairman, and Kruse, who is a former IICA chairman and sits on the IICA advisory committee, was elected. The chairmen of MIF, NCI and IICA are elected by their respective board members for two-year terms.