The International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA), Washington, D.C., said it named Matt Herrick senior vice president, executive and strategic communications. In this newly created role, Herrick will be responsible for leading all of IDFA’s communications and reputation management activities, with a particular focus on promoting and extending the IDFA brand to support the growth of dairy in the United States and around the world.

Herrick will also integrate a broad range of activities to position the association and its executives as thought leaders in the dairy industry and the broader food and beverage sector, IDFA said. He will report to Michael Dykes, D.V.M., president and CEO of IDFA.

“Matt knows and respects the work of IDFA members and cares deeply about food and nutrition issues,” Dykes said. “His experience in food and agricultural trade, navigating regulatory and legislative issues here in Washington, and leading brand-building efforts for large global organization puts us in a strong position to continue to make a difference for dairy.”

Herrick comes to IDFA from The Rockefeller Foundation, where he served as managing director of communications, leading media relations, digital communications, brand and reputation, issues management and internal communications for the foundation. Prior to that, he was senior vice president with Story Partners public affairs in Washington, D.C., where he founded and managed the agency’s food, nutrition and trade practice, working with trade associations, food companies and foundations, IDFA said.

Herrick also served in the Obama Administration, first as press director and spokesperson for the U.S. Agency for International Development, and then as communications director for the USDA. He also led communications and media relations for Oxfam America and served as speechwriter and spokesperson for USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service.

Herrick holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the College of the Holy Cross and an Master of Arts degree from Syracuse University’s Newhouse School of Public Communications.

"I am thrilled to join the International Dairy Foods Association to work on behalf of our members, as well as the 3-million individuals who make, package, ship and market dairy products around the world,” said Herrick. “Dairy is leading in innovation, sustainability and trade within the food space, and I look forward to telling that story loudly and proudly in partnership with the IDFA team.”