Release Date: November 2007
For the November NMPF CEO's Corner, we are including the presentation made November 14 by Jerry Kozak at the NMPF annual meeting in Orlando.
Jerry Kozak,
President/CEO
It’s appropriate that again, we are here in Disney World which has a magical reputation, and where dreams do come true! Ten years ago, here in Orlando, I gave my first speech as the CEO of NMPF. Ten years is a long time, yet, it’s also a decade that has passed very quickly.
Since that speech ten years ago, NMPF has changed in so many ways and I like to think that is has changed for the better. I haven’t changed, however, in that I still enjoy using references to country music as part of my speech. So this year, I will draw from the latest hit from Brooks and Dunn, “Proud of the House We Built,” to talk about the house we’ve built at NMPF.
At first, I struggled with what to talk about this year, until as I drove into work one day, the Brooks and Dunn song came on the radio, and gave me immediate inspiration for my speech. The chorus says, “I am proud of the house we built, it’s stronger than sticks, stones, and steel.” They sing, “Oh look at us together, oh we’ve come such a long, long way.”
Our house, the “National Milk” house, was built by people, relationships, and the conviction and dedication to a common purpose. Our house was also built with a solid foundation, starting with our staff. They are the bricks and the mortar that keep our house intact, and help our industry weather so many storms.
Start with Tom Balmer, our Executive Vice President. Tom and I have worked together for 18 years. He is truly one of the most versatile and knowledgeable people in our industry. He and I complement each other in our skills and abilities. He oversees all of our administrative functions, including both NMPF’s and CWT’s finances, along with our office management, and is involved in every aspect of our organization. The best words to describe Tom are that he is solid, steady, calm, and is the ultimate professional. He doesn’t get enough credit! I get the ideas and he makes them work. He is a problem solver, and a quiet force behind so many activities and programs. He is a major cornerstone of the house we built.
Working with Tom is Gail Mobley. She was a key element in helping Tom and I to rebuild the “house” starting 10 years ago. Her role has evolved over the years to handling all of the day to day administrative programs for NMPF, CWT, and the National Ice Cream Mix Association, which we also manage. She is a true multi-tasker and an important part of that foundation we set into place a decade ago.
Yolanda Onwubere, my Executive Assistant, has only been with us for a year, but she also is part of a very important function: she keeps me on schedule, and handles other administrative duties for others. She is our go-to person for day-to-day activities.
Anuja Miner. Like a few select celebrities, Sting, the Rock and Madonna, just the first name Anuja is necessary. She is our Director of Membership and Program Administrator for the American Butter institute and the CWT Program. Anuja has worked with me for 15 years. She and I came to NMPF as a package in 1997. In fact, Clyde Rutherford told me that he actually hired her and told her that she could bring me along. There is no one more personable and committed to helping our members. She, too, has tremendous versatility and knowledge of our industry. She has been part of my support system for so long and is also a cornerstone of the house.
Next, let’s talk about our regulatory staff. Rob Byrne, our Senior Vice President of Regulatory Affairs, has been with me for over 13 years, including the last ten at NMPF. Because of his educational pedigree, Rob can handle a myriad of scientific, technical and regulatory issues. He is a versatile trade association staffer who does whatever it takes to help get the job done. He is well-respected in government and industry circles for his expertise and willingness to work with others.
Working with Rob is Jamie Jonker. He, too, has an excellent educational background that comes in handy in his position as Director of Technical Services. He comes from a dairy farm background that helps keep him, and the organization, focused when dealing with animal health and other “on farm” issues. Among his many activities is oversight of our new one million dollar grant from USDA on the National Animal Identification System.
Another cornerstone of the National Milk house is Jaime Castaneda, our Senior Vice President of Government Relations. He has been with us for eight years, and came to us specifically as a Trade Policy Expert. Like others I have mentioned, Jaime has evolved and now spearheads all of our government relations efforts, especially with Congress, the U.S. Trade Representative’s office, and other agencies. He brings an outstanding work ethic that combines intense advocacy skills and analytical abilities.
When I started this job in 1997, I set out to find a great lobbyist. And I found Roger Eldridge, who became our Vice President of Government Relations. In the nine years he has been with me, Roger has produced a string of victories on Capitol Hill. He is well-respected, and he is the highly visible face of our industry with many elected officials.
Roger is retiring at the end of this year, and I am going to miss him. He will always be a part of our house, and I suspect that we will still see him at times working on our behalf. He and his wife, Amy, are moving from Washington to Tennessee to enjoy a well-deserved retirement.
Working with Jaime and Roger is Shawna Morris, Director of Trade Policy. She has been with us for six years and is building her own house. She just gave birth to a beautiful little girl on Nov. 7. Shawna brings a strong background on trade policy, and is a key performer on a number of issues, most recently, WTO Negotiations and Immigration Reform.
The next brick in our foundation is provided through our economic analysis and research capabilities. Peter Vitaliano, who is our Vice President of Economic Policy and Market Research, has been with NMPF for 22 years. His educational background and experience makes him the foremost dairy economist in the U.S. He is respected both domestically and internationally. In addition to providing sound economic analysis for NMPF, through our service contracts, he also carries out selected projects for CWT, USDEC, DMI, and NICMA.
Roger Cryan, our Vice President of Milk Marketing and Economics, also has outstanding educational pedigree and experience. He is our expert on Federal Orders, and is well respected by USDA and other federal agencies for his knowledge and ability to advocate our positions. He provides analytical support for many of our economic policies and programs, including the American Butter Institute.
A recent addition to our house was our CWT program. Jim Tillison, our Chief Operating Officer of CWT and NMPF Senior Vice President of Special Projects, had been working with us part-time for several years prior to his employment with NMPF. He has a wealth of experience and knowledge on all facets of the dairy industry. He provides support and help on a number of activities that are new and impacting in our industry. He’s also our staff impressionist!
Next is our communications area, better described as the windows of our house since its function is to let light in and showcase our information. Chris Galen is our Senior Vice President of Communications, and was my first official hire ten years ago. We’ve come along way since leasing that first laptop for Chris. He is our public spokesman and interacts with the trade press and the media. He writes my columns, speeches and has built an extensive communications network for us. He is also involved in all of our policy discussions and is a major part of our CWT program.
Mary Knigge, currently our Manager of Communications, comes from a dairy farm family in Wisconsin, and heads up our YC program, while also working on a number of programs that are both in communications and grassroots advocacy. She will shortly take on a new role and work in our government relations area, as she continues to administer the YC program and build our grassroots efforts.
And to replace Mary in communications, we have just hired a new coordinator, Sarah Olson. Sarah is from the rural Midwest and will be a great addition to our house.
Just as with any house, you need cement to hold all the bricks together. Louise Kamali is our Director of Office Operations and has been with us for nearly six years. She keeps us all together, which was no easy task during an office renovation earlier this year. She also coordinates our meetings, especially this one!
Darryl Garnett has been with us for 13 years, and is our mailroom specialist and master of all trades.
Bobby Yi is our network specialist who oversees both NMPF’s and USDEC’s computer network. He has been with us for 8 years.
Finally, there is Emma Kenton who has worked for us for 5 years, and is that wonderful, pleasant voice that our members hear when they call NMPF.
I’d like all of the staff to stand and be recognized….
As I said earlier, our house was constructed through relationships, and it is through these partnerships that it is maintained. Starting with Tom Gallagher and his staff, we have formed a great partnership with DMI. Since I came to NMPF, Tom has been truly supportive; he has become a great sounding board for me, and a friend as well.
Tom Suber and the USDEC staff help share our house literally and programmatically. Together, our organizations share quarters, resources and have created a mutually beneficial relationship with both NMPF and CWT. Tom has built his own successful house in USDEC, and he and I work very well together.
Our Officers and Board of Directors make up the roof that covers our house. Starting with Charles Beckendorf, our Chairman, and our outstanding group of Officers, we have strong leadership and counsel within the producer community. Our house is also made of strong relationships with other state and local dairy associations, associate members, and CWT participants who bring non-NMPF cooperatives and independent producers together for a common cause.
Finally, the bedrock upon which our house stands is our co-op members and, particularly, their leadership. It is this leadership that provides our fundamental support, and keeps our house upright in turbulent times. In my first speech to this organization, ten years ago, I said, “A leadership role obligates us to make tough decisions and stick by them. We can’t shy away from taking a position just because one of us may not agree. Consensus does not mean unanimous. No organization can be effective by operating with unanimous consensus.”
One of the things of which I am most proud of is that we have striven to be fair, especially to those who don’t always concur with the direction our Board has taken. When the Board makes decisions, we have acted, and acted forcefully and effectively. I know I would not have stayed here for a decade if we had continually engaged in the sort of self–destructive, paralyzing infighting and second–guessing that would hinder any organization. The support and attitude of our members has helped build a strong house.
Going back to my speech in 1997, I said, “Being influential over the long term generally results from being well-respected, credible, fair and honest. These are the principles NMPF must live by, and these are the principles that have helped us to establish NMPF as the premier trade association representing dairy industry interests.”
I believe we have followed those principles for the past ten years, and that is why NMPF remains a welcoming home for all of us.
NMPF has been around for 91 years now, and my time as CEO is just a small moment in that enduring legacy. Yet, each of us who works within these walls - and our members - is part of a rich heritage, and has had a role in upholding that legacy and building our house.
So that’s why, of all the things that have happened in the past decade, there’s one sure bet for the future: as long as our hallmarks remain fair and honest dealings with others; as long as we are credible in our statements and proposals; as long as we treat others with respect; and as long as cooperation remains the glue that binds us together.… As long as all those things hold true, then NMPF has a very bright future, next year, in ten years, and long after all of us active today have left the scene.
Here’s one stanza of the Brooks and Dunn song, very fitting for this industry:
“Still working our way through the land of milk and honey
At the end of the day there's always more bills than money
I close my eyes at night and I still feel
The same fire in my heart out in that field.”
These lines from Brooks and Dunn are doubly appropriate, since in my inaugural speech to NMPF members, in 1997, I spoke of arriving in Orlando with a "fire that rages in my belly" and a "conviction in my heart" to see our industry grow and prosper.
Ten years later, again in Orlando, that fire in my belly, the feelings in my heart about NMPF and the dairy business… my song remains the same.
I’m proud of this house that together we’ve been able to build. It’s been more than a house; it’s been a home to me, and home to a great team of leaders. Thank you for the opportunity back in 1997, and I look forward to building a better future in the years ahead.
At the end of the day there's always more bills than money
I close my eyes at night and I still feel
The same fire in my heart out in that field.”
These lines from Brooks and Dunn are doubly appropriate, since in my inaugural speech to NMPF members, in 1997, I spoke of arriving in Orlando with a "fire that rages in my belly" and a "conviction in my heart" to see our industry grow and prosper.
Ten years later, again in Orlando, that fire in my belly, the feelings in my heart about NMPF and the dairy business… my song remains the same.
I’m proud of this house that together we’ve been able to build. It’s been more than a house; it’s been a home to me, and home to a great team of leaders. Thank you for the opportunity back in 1997, and I look forward to building a better future in the years ahead.