The Midwest Dairy Association has elected new officers in two of its state divisions, Minnesota and South Dakota.
Officers for the Minnesota division are: Ken Herbranson, Clitherall – chairman, Paul Fritsche, New Ulm – vice chairman, Kay Henninger, Carlton – secretary, and Ron Rinkel, Hillman – treasurer. Charles Krause, Buffalo, and Corrine Lieser, Belgrade, were seated as new members of the board, which helps direct dairy promotion efforts in Midwest Dairy Association’s nine state region. It is the operating arm of the Minnesota Dairy Promotion Council, whose newly elected officers include: Jeff Fasching, Winsted – chairman, Kathleen Skiba, North Branch – vice chair, Judy Hoffman, Waseca – secretary, Suzanne Vold, Glenwood – treasurer, and Ron Rinkel, Hillman – executive committee member at-large.
Dan Olson, Paynesville, was elected to serve on the Princess Kay committee, and Skiba and Rinkel will join other state representatives on the American Dairy Association of the Midwest board, which controls the organization’s non-cash assets.
In addition to the eight who hold office in the Division, six other producers were elected to serve on the Midwest Dairy Association Corporate Board. They are: Gary Bergan, Hawley, Carolyn Freese, Lanesboro, Dan Grunhovd, Gary, Mel Kunstleben, Paynesville, David Schwartz, Slayton, and Chris Sukalski, Leroy. Kunstleben was re-elected chairman of the Midwest Dairy Association Corporate Board. He and Schwartz represent Minnesota on the national dairy checkoff board.
Officers for South Dakota division are: Jim Neugebauer, (Dimock, SD) – Chairman, Gary Jarding, (Alexandria, SD) – Vice Chair, Allen Merrill, (Parker, SD) – Secretary, and Dave Haagenson, (Baltic, SD) – Treasurer. Neugebauer, Merrill, and Haagenson were elected to serve on the MDA Corporate Board. The Midwest Dairy Association, of which the South Dakota Division is a part, represents 13,600 dairy farmers in nine states including Illinois, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Kansas, Arkansas, Missouri and eastern Oklahoma.