Dairy Business Association Elects New President

The Dairy Business Association’s (DBA) board of directors elected a new president and vice president, and the membership chose three new directors during the organization’s annual business meeting at the Dairy Strong conference.

Incumbent Tom Crave of Crave Brothers Farm in Waterloo, Wis., will lead the board as president. He has been a dairy farmer for 38 years and has served on his local town board. Former president Mike North will become president emeritus.

Incumbent Amy Penterman, who owns and operates Dutch Dairy in Thorp with her husband, was chosen as vice president. She has also worked as a crop-insurance agent for 19 years and was in farm lending for 15 years.

DBA members elected one new corporate representative, Jack Hippen, who is North America manager for STgenetics and has been involved in the dairy-equipment and dairy-genetics industries for 25 years.

DBA also elected two new farmer representatives, Kevin Collins and Robert Nagel. Collins has dairy-farmed for many years in Greenleaf, Wis., and has served as chair of his local town board and on its zoning committee. He is engaged in lobbying on the federal level as a member of the policy committee for DBA’s sister organization, Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative. Nagel is a partner and manager of several Wisconsin dairies and has experience as a large-animal veterinarian. He has been engaged with DBA on local and state legislative efforts. Collins and Nagel replace Cody Heller and Lloyd Holterman.

Steve Bodart of Compeer Financial was re-elected to a corporate position. Incumbent board member Lee Kinnard was named secretary, and Bodart will be treasurer.