NMPF Announces Staff Reorganization as Doud Begins New Role

The National Milk Producers Federation announced a significant staff reorganization as it transitions to new leadership, as incoming President & CEO Gregg Doud began work with the organization this week as the organization’s Chief Operating Officer, a position he will hold until current President & CEO Jim Mulhern retires in January.

“I am excited to announce these changes, which will enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of our organizational structure,” said Mulhern. “They also recognize the significant contributions of the affected individuals to our overall success in recent years and position the organization well for even greater success in the future.”

NMPF named three Executive Vice Presidents – Paul Bleiberg, Shawna Morris and Alan Bjerga – as part of the reorganization, recognizing responsibilities that are expanding across NMPF teams. Bleiberg will serve as Executive Vice President, Government Relations; Morris as Executive Vice President, Trade Policy & Global Affairs; and Bjerga as Executive Vice President, Communications and Industry Relations.

Other promotions include David West to Chief Administrative Officer; Stephen Cain to Senior Director, Economic Research & Analysis; Beverly Hampton Phifer to Senior Director, FARM Animal Care; Theresa Sweeney-Murphy as Senior Director, Communications and Outreach; Miquela Hanselman to Director, Regulatory Affairs; and Tony Rice to Director, Trade Policy. Staffers receiving title changes in line with new responsibilities are Chris Galen, who will serve as Senior Vice President of Member Services and Governance, and Claudia Larson, Senior Director, Government Relations & Head of Nutrition Policy.

West Brings Finance Expertise to Staff

NMPF’s newest staff member, David West, has joined the organization as its Vice President of Finance and Administration for the Federation and its related organizations.

In that role, West is responsible for overseeing all finance and accounting, human resources, information technology, contract management, and other administrative matters. He also serves as the advisor to the senior leadership team on financial planning, reporting, budgeting, and operations and ensures organizational legal and regulatory compliance. In carrying out these responsibilities, David supervises a team of in-house administrative personnel and outsourced accounting, human resources, and legal services professionals.

Prior to joining NMPF, David served as the Director of Finance and Administration at George Washington’s Mount Vernon, a non-profit with 650 employees that generates $70 million in revenue and $200 million in investments. During his tenure, he led the organization’s efforts, in budgeting, finance, compliance, payroll, and system administration. Before that, David worked in public accounting at Tate & Tryon, where he oversaw non-profit financial preparation for a variety of non-profit organizations.

A native of Northern Virginia, David resides in Springfield, VA and is a graduate of High Point University in North Carolina.

NMPF Advances Sustainability Leadership, Member Service with Staff Promotions

NMPF named Nicole Ayache its first ever chief sustainability officer and Emily Yeiser Stepp the first ever executive director of its National Dairy Farmers Assuring Responsible Management (FARM) Program, bolstering its sustainability leadership and member service in staff promotions announced Feb. 1.

NMPF also elevated Louise Kamali and Sage Saffran in recognition of their growing and expanding roles with the organization. Kamali is becoming Vice President, Meetings and Office Services, while Saffran has been promoted to Manager, Sustainability Initiatives.

Each staff member brings unique talents to NMPF, Mulhern said.

“As dairy cooperatives continuously improve their own sustainability and develop new opportunities to benefit their members and their communities, NMPF is excited to have Nicole leading our work in the environmental, social and economic aspects of sustainability,” said NMPF President and CEO Jim Mulhern. “As the leader of the FARM Program’s Environmental Stewardship initiative, Nicole has already shown how dairy leads agriculture in best practices and stewardship principles. By expanding her role, we are ensuring that both FARM and NMPF’s efforts in these areas will grow under energetic leadership.”

Yeiser Stepp’s new position as Executive Director of the FARM Program comes after nearly five years leading FARM’s strategic initiatives for the U.S. dairy industry’s social responsibility program, encompassing animal care, antibiotic stewardship, biosecurity, environmental stewardship, and workforce development. She first joined FARM, a joint initiative of NMPF and Dairy Management Inc., in 2016 and has been integral to its rapid expansion and increasingly central role in U.S. dairy.

“Emily’s new role reflects her success in leading our comprehensive efforts to develop FARM as one that assists farmers and the entire dairy producer community in addressing and communicating its record of success in managing high quality animal care, as well as farm biosecurity and workforce development,” Mulhern said. “Her strong record of achievement in working with a wide range of industry stakeholders, of managing a growing staff, and of staying ahead of rapidly evolving industry challenges positions her well for her new role – and NMPF for continued success benefiting from her leadership.”

Louise Kamali’s promotion to Vice President, Meetings and Office Services recognizes her significant and long-standing contributions to the efficient and effective management of numerous organizational meetings as well as the internal administrative functions for both NMPF and the U.S. Dairy Export Council, with which NMPF shares office resources.

“Louise is a unifying presence within our jointly operated office, dedicated to making sure that NMPF and USDEC staff have the tools, assistance, and resources necessary to achieve their best on-the-job results,” Mulhern said. “Whether working with service providers or meeting facilities — or most importantly, our members — as a frontline representative, her expertise, attention to detail, and thorough knowledge of the many moving parts of our organizations continue to significantly and successfully bolster our efforts in ways large and small.”

Kamali has more than 31 years of association experience. February marks her 21st anniversary with NMPF.

Sage Saffran has been promoted to Manager, Sustainability Initiatives. Her new role reflects her expanded responsibilities in managing internal operations for the FARM Environmental Stewardship (ES) and Workforce Development (WFD) programs. Saffran oversees the evaluator training for both initiatives; she also coordinates efforts with FARM team members and contractors to grow evaluator and farmer resources, improve database functionality, develop communications, and promote stakeholder engagement.

In addition to her work with FARM, Sage contributes to important NMPF initiatives, such as the internship program, the Young Cooperators program, and the annual scholarship raffle.

“Since joining NMPF two years ago, Sage has quickly asserted herself as key to the FARM team’s progress and expansion,” Mulhern said. “Her contributions are highly valued, and we look forward to her continued growth as an essential part of NMPF.”

NMPF Advances Sustainability Leadership, Member Service With Staff Promotions

The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) named Nicole Ayache its first ever chief sustainability officer and Emily Yeiser Stepp the first ever executive director of its National Dairy Farmers Assuring Responsible Management (FARM) Program, bolstering its sustainability leadership and member service in staff promotions announced today.

NMPF also elevated Louise Kamali and Sage Saffran in recognition of their growing and expanding roles with the organization. Kamali is becoming Vice President, Meetings and Office Services, while Saffran has been promoted to Manager, Sustainability Initiatives.

Each staff member brings unique talents to NMPF, Mulhern said.

“As dairy cooperatives continuously improve their own sustainability and develop new opportunities to benefit their members and their communities, NMPF is excited to have Nicole leading our work in the environmental, social and economic aspects of sustainability,” said NMPF President and CEO Jim Mulhern. “As the leader of the FARM Program’s Environmental Stewardship initiative, Nicole has already shown how dairy leads agriculture in best practices and stewardship principles. By expanding her role, we are ensuring that both FARM and NMPF’s efforts in these areas will grow under energetic leadership.”

Yeiser Stepp’s new position as Executive Director of the FARM Program comes after nearly five years leading FARM’s strategic initiatives for the U.S. dairy industry’s social responsibility program, encompassing animal care, antibiotic stewardship, biosecurity, environmental stewardship and workforce development. She first joined FARM, a joint initiative of NMPF and Dairy Management Inc., in 2016 and has been integral to its increasingly important role in U.S. dairy.

“Emily’s new role reflects her success in leading our comprehensive efforts to develop FARM as one that assists the entire dairy producer community in addressing and communicating its record of success in managing high quality animal care, as well as farm biosecurity and workforce development,” Mulhern said. “Her strong record of achievement in working with a wide range of industry stakeholders, of managing a growing staff, and of staying ahead of rapidly evolving industry challenges positions her well for her new role – and NMPF for continued success benefiting from her leadership.”

Louise Kamali’s promotion to Vice President, Meetings and Office Services recognizes her significant  and long-standing contributions to the efficient and effective management of numerous organizational meetings as well as the internal administrative functions for both NMPF and the U.S. Dairy Export Council, with which NMPF shares office resources.

“Louise is a unifying presence within our jointly operated office, dedicated to making sure that NMPF and USDEC staff have the tools, assistance, and resources necessary to achieve their best on-the-job results,” Mulhern said. “Whether working with service providers or meeting facilities — or most importantly, our members — as a frontline representative, her expertise, attention to detail, and thorough knowledge of the many moving parts of our organizations continue to significantly and successfully bolster our efforts in ways large and small.”

Kamali has more than 31 years of association experience. February marks her 21st anniversary with NMPF.

Sage Saffran has been promoted to Manager, Sustainability Initiatives. Her new role reflects her expanded responsibilities in managing internal operations for the FARM Environmental Stewardship (ES) and Workforce Development (WFD) programs. Saffran oversees the evaluator training for both initiatives; she also coordinates efforts with FARM team members and contractors to grow evaluator and farmer resources, improve database functionality, develop communications, and promote stakeholder engagement.

In addition to her work with FARM, Sage contributes to important NMPF initiatives, such as the internship program, the Young Cooperators program, and the annual scholarship raffle.

“Since joining NMPF two years ago, Sage has quickly asserted herself as key to the FARM team’s progress and expansion,” Mulhern said. “Her contributions are highly valued, and we look forward to her continued growth as an essential part of NMPF.”