ADPI's longest-tenured CEO passes away
Courtesy of ADPI
Logo courtesy of ADPI.
It is with deep sorrow that ADPI acknowledges the passing of Warren S. Clark Jr., who served as the CEO of ADPI for 27 years, the longest tenure in its history.
Dr. Clark passed away at the age of 90 on July 27, 2025, just 10 days after his wife of 60 years, Virginia Clark. ADPI extends its deepest condolences to Dr. Clark’s family, friends, and all who had the honor of working alongside him.
A visitation for Dr. Clark will be held Wednesday, August 6, 2025, from 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM at Chapel Hill Gardens West Funeral Home & Cemetery, 17w201 Roosevelt Road, Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181, where a 1 p.m. Funeral Service will follow.
"Dr. Clark was more than a leader; he was a visionary who guided ADPI and the industry through decades of growth, innovation, and transformation. Under Dr. Clark’s stewardship, ADPI reached milestones that defined our identity and strengthened our values. His legacy lives on in the culture he helped shape, the people he mentored, and the lives touched by his leadership," ADPI stated.
Dr. Clark was hired in 1967 for the position of Technology and Research Services at the American Dry Milk Institute (ADMI). His first assignment was to find the root of a Salmonella outbreak that had been troubling the industry. Dr. Clark was promoted to Assistant Executive Director shortly thereafter and served as the Institute’s first and only Assistant Executive Director.
On July 1, 1976, Dr. Clark became the fifth CEO of ADMI as well as the CEO of the Whey Protein Institute (WPI). Dr. Clark and his wife, Virginia, were both deeply involved in the Institute. Virginia became involved in ADMI shortly after Dr. Clark was hired, participating in the ladies’ program held during annual institute meetings.
When Dr. Clark was named CEO, Virginia assumed the leadership of the ladies’ program while still being fully employed outside of the home and raising their family.
During his time as CEO, some of Dr. Clark’s most significant contributions included:
- The intense development and advancement of the Whey Protein Institute which significantly expanded the protein industry.
- Spearheading the merger of ADMI with WPI in 1986 to form the American Dairy Products Institute (ADPI).
- The subsequent merger of the Evaporated Milk Association into ADPI.
- The formation of the cheese division within ADPI.
- Was the driving force in forging the close relationship that ADPI still enjoys with the European Whey Processors Association (EWPA) and was instrumental in coordinating many of the IWC meetings throughout the years.
Dr. Clark retired as CEO of ADPI in 2002.
Dr. Clark was a member of several professional and honorary societies, including the American Dairy Science Association, the Institute of Food Technologists, the Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC) International, the U.S. International Dairy Federation (USIDF), the Society of Sigma Xi, Alpha Zeta, and Gamma Sigma Delta. He was a member of the IAFP for nearly 50 years, participating in affiliate chapters, and was involved with the 3-A Sanitary Standards program since 1967.
His awards and honorariums include:
- Honorary Lifetime Member of USIDF in 2004.
- Honorary Lifetime Membership Award in IAFP in 2002
- ADPI Award of Merit in 2002
- The United States Department of Agriculture Honor Award for Excellence, European Union Certification Team in 1999.
- The Alumni Association Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1997.
- International Association for Food Protection (IAFP) Fellows Award
- Bronze Plaque Award for long and dedicated service to the 3-A Sanitary Standards Program.
- International Medal of the French Society Confrerie des Tasteurs de Petit Lait in recognition of service to the whey processing industry in 1986.
Dr. Clark also served as a non-government advisor to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the World Health Organization, and the Codex Alimentarius Commission, which was established in 1962.
The information presented in this article has been derived from "The History of the American Dairy Products Institute," authored by Mary Jane Carlisle, Jr.
- Carlisle, M.J., Jr. (2023). The History of the American Dairy Products Institute.
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