Zippy Duvall - President, American Farm Bureau Federation
Zippy Duvall has served as president of the American Farm Bureau Federation since 2016. He is a third-generation farmer from Georgia. He and his son operate a beef cow herd, raise broiler chickens and grow their own hay, all while continuing to restore the farmland that has been in the family for more than 90 years.
In 2017, Duvall was honored by the National 4-H Council as a founding luminary, a group of influential 4-H alumni. Prior to being elected AFBF president, he was president of the Georgia Farm Bureau and served on the AFBF board of directors. In 1987, he also served a year on the AFBF board as Young Farmer Committee chair.
Duvall and his new wife, Jennifer, were married in December 2021. Both lost their first spouses. With their union, the family has grown from four children and five grandchildren to six children and seven grandchildren.
Gloria Montaño Greene - Deputy Under Secretary, USDA Farm Production and Conservation
Gloria Montaño Greene was appointed Deputy Under Secretary for USDA’s Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC) mission area on February 22, 2021. Her experience is focused in government and community work and includes federal policy, politics, advocacy, intergovernmental relations, communications, and management.
As the FPAC Deputy Undersecretary, Montaño Greene leads agencies that deliver farm programs and services to
farmers, ranchers, and agricultural producers. These programs include farm loans, conservation, disaster assistance, crop insurance and price support. Montaño Greene is a former State Executive Director for the Farm Service Agency in Arizona from 2014-2017. With FSA in Arizona, Montaño Greene led implementation of the 2014 Farm Bill programs across the state.
She previously served as Deputy Chief of Staff and Chief of Staff to Congressman Raúl M. Grijalva of Arizona. Montaño Greene also served as Deputy Director for Chispa Arizona, a program of the League of Conservation Voters focused on the empowerment of Latino voices in Arizona on issues including energy, public lands, and democracy access. Montaño Greene is originally from rural Arizona. She is a proud graduate of the University of Arizona.
Garrett Hawkins - President, Missouri Farm Bureau
Garrett Hawkins was first elected the 15th president of Missouri Farm Bureau on December 6, 2020. He is a husband, father, and farmer from Appleton City, Missouri, in St. Clair County. Garrett and his wife, Jennifer, and their children, Adelyn, Colton and Tate, are fifth-generation farmers and the third generation in the Hawkins family to own and operate
the farm on which they live today. Their primary enterprise is beef cattle production. Agriculture runs deep in their families and spans livestock, row crop, and dairy production.
Garrett’s professional experience is rooted in service and spans Farm Bureau, state government and agribusiness. From 2017 to 2019, Garrett served as deputy director of the Missouri Department of Agriculture. During his tenure, he worked with Governor Parson and Director of Agriculture Chris Chinn to protect and promote the state’s number one industry. Prior to public service, Garrett led Farm Bureau’s national lobbying efforts and oversaw the organization’s policy development process for nearly 15 years. During his time at Farm Bureau, he served on various committees, including AFBF’s Farm Bill Working Group, and worked closely with state Farm Bureau leaders and the American Farm Bureau staff.
Dana Coale - Deputy Administrator, USDA AMS Dairy Program
Dana H. Coale was selected as Deputy Administrator of the AMS Dairy Program in September 2004. Ms. Coale oversees a wide array of programs and services that establish and maintain orderly dairy marketing conditions and ensure that consumers have adequate supplies of pure and wholesome milk at all times. She manages an organization of more than 470 employees who implement these programs across the Nation.
Ms. Coale began her career with the AMS Fruit and Vegetable Program in 1989 as a Marketing Specialist, but she has spent nearly her entire career with Dairy Programs, starting as an Agricultural Marketing Specialist in 1990 working with the Federal Milk Marketing Order Program. Prior to her appointment as Deputy Administrator, she served as Associate Deputy Administrator for Dairy Program for almost 3 years.
Ms. Coale received a Bachelor of Science degree in Public Service and Administration in Agriculture and International Agriculture from Iowa State University. She grew up on a grain and livestock farm in Central Iowa, and she continues to maintain ownership in the operation. Ms. Coale and her husband have two children and reside in Gainesville, Virginia.
Anja Raudabaugh - Chief Executive Officer, Western United Dairies
Anja Raudabaugh is the Chief Executive Officer of Western United Dairies. Anja came to WUD from the Madera County Farm Bureau where she served as the Executive Director for four years. Prior to her role at the Farm Bureau, she worked as a Project Manager for a Fortune 500 Company, and as the Senior Legislative Assistant for Congressman Doug Ose, representing California’s 3rd District in Washington D.C.
Previously the Marketing Director for the California Asparagus Commission and District Representative for State Senator Dick Monteith; her extensive experience in the political environment adds tremendous value to the organization. Anja’s time in Sacramento working as a project manager and technical adviser handling CEQA and NEPA requirements as they applied to state and federal agencies, has lent her a skill set adept with navigating complex issues.
Calvin Covington - Chief Executive Officer Emeritus, Southeast Milk Inc.
Calvin Covington has spent the past 49 years working for dairy farmer organizations in various capacities
. He retired from Southeast Milk, Inc. as Chief Executive Officer in 2010. As CEO, Covington was responsible for all of the cooperative’s operations including: marketing about 3 billion lbs. of milk annually; milk processing plants; milk transport; and dairy farm services.
Prior to joining SMI, Covington spent 23 years working for National All-Jersey Inc. leaving the organization as their CEO. In this role Covington was instrumental in the national acceptance of multiple component milk pricing.
Covington is known worldwide for his expertise in milk pricing. He has authored milk marketing articles for various publications; testified at Federal Order and Congressional hearings; and spoken to dairy industry groups throughout the U.S. and in over 30 countries.
Today, Covington spends time working on the family’s Century farm in Stokes County, NC; advising various dairy companies and cooperatives including holding interim CEO positions; a contributor to national dairy publications; writing a monthly dairy market report; speaking to dairy industry groups; serving as a director on his county’s Farm Bureau board; and a volunteer with the Farmer-to-Farmer program having completed thirteen (13) assignments in Africa and the Middle East.
Covington holds a B.S. degree from N.C. State University and a M.S. degree from Ohio State University. Covington’s recognitions include: 2010 National Dairy Shrine Guest of Honor and 2003 World Dairy Expo Industry Person of the Year. Covington and his wife of 42 years, Lorraine, reside in North Carolina.
Rick Ebert - President, Pennsylvania Farm Bureau
Rick Ebert has been serving as Pennsylvania Farm Bureau’s eighth President since November 2014. In that role, he also chairs the Pennsylvania Friends of Agriculture Foundation, a charitable organization supported by Pennsylvania Farm Bureau. Ebert operates
Ebert Family Farms in Blairsville, Westmoreland County. The farm’s 80 registered Holsteins are milked twice daily and the milk is shipped to Pittsburgh-based Turner Dairies. The family also raises 100 breeding ewes for wool and meat, grows vegetables under a high-tunnel greenhouse to supply local markets, and produces nearly 300 acres of crops, including alfalfa, corn, soybeans and sorghum. Ebert is working to bring his sons into the farm operation
He was elected to the American Farm Bureau Federation Board of Directors in January 2016 to represent the Northeast Region and was named a member of the Executive Committee in January 2020. He was appointed to serve on the American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture in March 2020. Ebert served on AFBF’s Trade Advisory Committee from 2016 to 2020. In addition, he is a member of the Board Council at Nationwide, a Fortune 100 insurance and financial services company.
Ebert has given years of service to Farm Bureau at the state and local level. Prior to his election as President, he served as Pennsylvania Farm Bureau’s Vice President for 10 years and represented District 16 on PFB’s State Board of Directors from 1996 to 2004. He was also president of Westmoreland County Farm Bureau and vice chair of PFB’s Young Farmer and Rancher Committee (now Young Ag Professionals). Ebert also led PFB’s Dairy State Committee and presented testimony before the Pennsylvania Milk Marketing Board on behalf of dairy farmers across the state. He received his Bachelor’s Degree in Dairy Science from Penn State. He and his wife, Diane, have four children and five grandchildren.
Bethany Hodge - Co-founder, Echo Farm Puddings
Beth Hodge is one of the family founders of Echo Farm Puddings in 
Beth graduated from Cornell University with a degree in Animal Science the year the farm began producing its own line of all natural, premium puddings. Echo Farm produces 13 flavors of puddings using 20% of their milk supply. Presently, Echo Farm Puddings are sold throughout New England, New York, and northern New Jersey, in a variety of supermarkets, natural food stores, and co-op food stores as well as Whole Foods. Echo Farm is also a member owner of Agri-Mark Cooperative, maker of Cabot Cheese Products.
Since joining the farm full time in 1997, Beth has held a variety of roles in both businesses doing everything from managing the farm to manufacturing and delivering the pudding to stores. Presently, Beth is Dairy Farm Manager and Marketing and Demo Coordinator for Echo Farm Puddings. Beth is very committed to telling the story of agriculture to her customers, farm visitors, and in recent years, to Legislators on the state and national level. She presently serves on both Agri-mark’s Legislative Committee and is Co-Chair of the Sustainable Farms Committee. Additionally, Beth is active in New Hampshire Farm Bureau where she is serving as County President and Chairperson of the Dairy Committee. Lastly, Beth is a 4-H Leader, and still shows her Milking Shorthorn cows at regional and national shows; including the World Dairy Expo.
Danny Munch - Economist, American Farm Bureau Federation
Danny currently works as an Economist within AFBF’s public affairs department with a profile that covers issues including dairy policy and markets, transportation & infrastructure, natural disasters, aquaculture, endangered and invasive species, public lands, and specialty crop markets.
Born and raised in the shoreline New England town of East Lyme, Connecticut, Danny was an active 4-H member and heavily involved with Northeast agriculture. After graduating from UConn in 2018 with a double major in Livestock Management & Policy and Resource Economics he worked within the U.S. House of Representatives on agricultural policy research for Connecticut’s second congressional district on Capitol Hill. In 2020, Danny graduated from Cornell University with a Master of Science in Agricultural and Food Economics after completing his thesis: Assessing the Value of Agricultural Cooperative Membership: A Case of Dairy Marketing in the United States.
Throughout his graduate career, Danny was heavily involved with providing valuable strategy insights to farmer-owned cooperatives and agribusinesses, including hands-on projects with Ocean Spray, Palabana Fisheries (a tilapia producer in Zambia, Africa), and Farm Credit East. Prior to joining the American Farm Bureau Federation, Danny worked as a protein market commodity analyst for Urner Barry, focusing on protein markets.
Mike Brown - Senior Supply Chain Manager, Kroger
Mike Brown has over 30 years of experience in U.S. and dairy trade policy, milk pricing, and farm and plant economics. He currently serves at the Senior Supply Chain Manager for Kroger where he leads team of four professionals responsible for milk and dairy ingredient sourcing for Kroger's 19 plants and dairy products sold
under Kroger's brands. He also leads development of risk management tools for dairy commodities and manages Kroger’s dairy policy initiatives.
From November 1993 through March of 2004, Mike was General Manager of National All-Jersey Inc. His primary project was leading NAJ's effort to expand protein-based component pricing into the majority of regulated milk markets, through addition of language in the 1996 Farm Bill and directing NAJ's regulatory activity that followed the farm bill directive on component pricing. He was selected as recipient of the AJCA-NAJ Award for Meritorious Service in 2004. During Mike’s career he has also served as Director of Member Services for Darigold from 2004-2007 and an Economist for Glanbia from 2007-2015 where was part of a team that retooled Glanbia's end-product-pricing program, which priced milk directly on butterfat, casein, whey protein and other solids content, creating more incentive to produce high-protein milk.
Brown is a native of western New York, where he was raised on a small dairy farm. He earned a B.S. degree in dairy science at Virginia Tech, followed by graduate studies at Ohio State University. He now lives in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
Joe Wright - President, V&W Farms; President Emeritus, Southeast Milk Inc.
Joe Wright has represented the Florida dairy industry in multiple capacities for over 25 years. He was President of
Florida based dairy cooperative Southeast Milk, Inc. and its predecessors for almost 25 years before retiring February 1, 2022. He served on the Board of Directors of Florida Dairy Farmers Dairy farmers, Inc., Florida’s check-off milk promotion organization from 1990-2010, and he has continued to serve on the Board of National Milk Producers Federation since 1997.
Joe has testified in Congressional hearing on matters of dairy and agricultural policy multiple times. In 2007, he was awarded the Agricultural Institute of Florida, Inc.’s initial “Ag-Vocate” Award in recognition for being an outstanding spokesperson on behalf of the agricultural industry in Florida.
Joe and his wife, Suzanne, were the third generation to operate her family’s 1,200 cow dairy farm in Hardee County, Florida. They retired from dairy farming in February 2022 to pursue other opportunities derived from greatly appreciated land value. Joe continues to work on trying to improve milk pricing for producers in Florida and the Southeast. He remains an active member of the American Farm Bureau's Dairy Working Group.
Joe holds three degrees from the University of Florida: Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Master of Business Administration, and Juris Doctor. Joe has been a licensed attorney in the State of Florida since 1982.
Jim Sleper - Managing Partner, Sleper Consulting, LLC
Jim Sleper, although retired from the dairy industry for two years, continues to be involved on a limited basis as Managing Partner of Sleper Consulting, LLC. Prior to his retirement, Jim was employed in the dairy industry for over 35 years in a variety of positions. Most recently, he was CEO of Southeast Milk, Inc. (SMI) headquartered in Belleview, Florida. Prior to SMI, Jim worked for Foremost Farms USA, Land O’Lakes, Dean Foods, Milk Marketing, Inc. and the USDA’s Federal Milk Marketing Order program.
During his tenure with these organizations his primary responsibilities included milk procurement, member services, milk transportation, and dairy economics & policy. Jim grew up on a farm in central Missouri and attended University of Missouri-Columbia and Kansas State University.
David Fisher - President, New York Farm Bureau
David Fisher was elected president of New York Farm Bureau at the 2016 State Annual Meeting and also represents the Northeastern state Farm Bureaus on the American Farm Bureau Federation Board of Directors. Fisher and his family operate Mapleview Dairy in Madrid, N.Y. where they have farmed for four generations. Mapleview Dairy milks 3,500 cows between two facilities and crops 5,000 acres. In addition, the farm manages 3,200 heifers. The farm ships their milk to the AgriMark Cooperative.
Peter Vitaliano, Ph.D. - Vice President, Economic Policy & Market Research - NMPF
Peter Vitaliano is Vice President, Economic Policy and Market Research, of the National Milk Producers Federation. In this position, he is responsible for all economic analysis supporting the Federation’s programs relating to domestic and
international dairy policy. He has also provided the market analysis for management decision making for the Cooperatives Working Together (CWT) program since its inception in 2003 and serves as project director for a contract the Federation has with Dairy Management, Inc. to conduct programs of market information and economic research relating to domestic and international dairy markets.
He holds a Ph.D. degree in Agricultural Economics from the University of Wisconsin and degrees in mathematics from the Pennsylvania State University and Indiana University. Prior to joining the NMPF staff, he was a member of the faculty of Agricultural Economics at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Blacksburg, Virginia.
Roger Cryan, Ph.D. - Chief Economist, American Farm Bureau Federation
Dr. Roger Cryan joined the American Farm Bureau Federation last fall as Chief Economist.
Before joining Farm Bureau, Dr. Cryan served as the Director of the Economics Division for the Dairy Program in
USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service, where he directed an award-winning team of market reporters, economists, and marketing specialists across the country, and contributed to dairy purchasing and policy across USDA.
He previously served as Vice President for Milk Marketing and Economics at the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) and as the Economist for the Federal Milk Market Administrator in Atlanta, GA.
Dr. Cryan was raised in rural upstate New York, earned his Bachelor’s degree in International Studies at the Johns Hopkins University, and his Master’s degree and Ph.D. in Food and Resource Economics at the University of Florida.
Chris Herlache - Risk Strategies Manager, Schreiber Foods
Chris has been involved with the dairy industry his entire life. Growing up on a dairy farm, Chris lea
rned the fundamentals of dairy farming from the ground up. Chris attended the University of Wisconsin, where he received his degree in Agricultural and Applied Economics in 2000. Chris has been working for Schreiber Foods since 2000 and has led the company’s risk management and dairy economic responsibilities since 2003. In this role he has been developing dairy risk management strategies and programs for some of the world’s largest foodservice and retail companies. In addition to these responsibilities, Chris has been involved in US dairy pricing and policy discussions, along with helping to improve dairy spot and futures markets.
Kevin Krentz - President, Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation
Kevin Krentz serves as president of the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation and has served as a WFBF Board of Director since 2012. Kevin is president of Krentz Family Dairy, Inc. He started his farming career when
he purchased his father’s 60 cows in 1994. He grew the farm to 600 cows and 1,300 acres of crops.
Kevin believes in being involved in his industry and community. He currently serves on the AFBF and AFBFA Boards, Wisconsin Livestock ID Consortium, and UW-Madison College of Agricultural and Life Sciences Board of Visitors. He has served on American Farm Bureau Federal Milk Marketing Order Workgroup, the Wisconsin DNR Technical Advisory Committee, Professional Dairy Producers of Wisconsin, Wisconsin Department of Agriculture Trade and Consumer Protection Raw Milk Taskforce, and Department of Commerce Dairy 2020 Council. Kevin and his wife have a daughter and three sons and reside in Berlin, Wisconsin.
Gretl Schlatter - Partner, Flatrock Dairy | American Dairy Coalition
Gretl grew up on family farm in Paulding County Ohio. She took the dairy business short course at Michigan State in 1999-2000 and through that program, did an internship at Swisslane Dairy in Alto, MI. Swisslane was undergoing an
expansion from 500 cows to 1,000 cows at the time and Gretl ended up working there for 10 years as a herdsman and was mentored within the dairy business world.
In 2009, Gretl returned to Northwest Ohio to work with family, where they transitioned from a partnership of their father (Tim) and his brother, into two separate dairy LLC’s. Thereby starting the transition to a next generation. As a partner with Tim and her siblings Brent and Heidi, they milk 300+ cows, grow corn, alfalfa and clover hay for the dairy, row crop corn, soybeans, wheat and contract feed pigs. Gretl has served on the board at Prairie Farms since Jan 2019, where they have shipped milk since 1994. Gretl is appreciative for her exposure to the diversity of the dairy industry. She has family who ship organic milk to Horizon and Organic Valley with DFA and Dannon also active in the region.
Phil Plourd - Head of Market Intelligence, Ever.Ag
Phil Plourd is Head of Market Intelligence for Ever.Ag. He has been involved in dairy market analysis, research, forecasting, consulting and risk management activities for more than 25 years. Phil draws on that experience to lead an expert team helping clients find better ways to do business – across the supply chain and around the world. He is a popular speaker who engages audiences on a variety of topics. A resident of Cottage Grove, Wisconsin, Phil also serves on the Board of Directors of the Madison Public Library Foundation.
Chris Wolf, Ph.D. - E.V. Baker Professor of Agricultural Economics, Cornell University
Chris Wolf is the E.V. Baker Professor of Agricultural Economics and the Director of Land Grant Programs in the Dyson School of
Applied Economics and Management at Cornell University. He moved to Cornell in 2019 after 22 years on faculty at Michigan State University. Wolf conducts research, extension and teaching focusing on dairy markets and policy, livestock disease economics, farm business management, risk management, and farm animal welfare. He has published widely in academic and industry outlets. Wolf’s extension program stresses the effect of public policy on farm behavior and financial outcome, aiming to focus on issues of current and future importance to policy makers and industry decision makers. A native of Wisconsin, Wolf received his B.S. from the University of Wisconsin and his Ph.D. from the University of California-Davis.
Marin Bozic, Ph.D. - Board Advisor, Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative
Dr. Marin Bozic is the founder and CEO of Bozic LLC, a global provider of technology solutions for commodity markets
analytics and risk management with close to 100 clients on four continents. Bozic LLC also owns intellectual property rights to three major livestock insurance programs in the United States - Dairy Revenue Protection, Livestock Gross Margin and Livestock Risk Protection. In crop year 2021, DRP and LRP were used to protect over $13 billion in dairy and livestock revenue.
Dr. Bozic also currently serves on faculty in the Department of Applied Economics at the University of Minnesota. Marin’s research program covers dairy markets and policy and livestock risk management, and he teaches undergraduate courses in agribusiness finance and risk management.
Dr. Bozic is an advisor to several dairy trade associations, a nationally popular speaker on economics of dairy markets, and a frequent consultant on important dairy market and policy issues.
Pete Kappelman. - Senior Vice President, Member & Government Relations - LandO'Lakes
Pete Kappelman brings a lifetime of experience to the role of Senior Vice President of Member and Government Relations, as a successful crop and dairy farmer along with his advocacy experience and board involvement with many agricultural organizations.
Mr. Kappelman has been a leader in working with legislators on important ag policy issues including the Farm Bill, climate, trade, and immigration. He served as an Ag Policy Advisor to the Administration for the United States Department of Agriculture and the Office of the United States Trade Representative and was named Director of the Year in 2018 by the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives. Pete’s current board service includes the National Milk Producers Federation, the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives, and the Graduate Institute of Cooperative Leadership.
Kappelman is a fourth-generation farmer, having led Meadow Brook Dairy Farms, LLC, with his wife Shellie and their three adult children – an operation consisting of 450 milking cows and 1,400 acres of cropland. Kappelman received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Wisconsin- Madison, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
Ron Gibson - President, Utah Farm Bureau Federation
Ron Gibson, affectionately known as the "Milkman," is a 6th generation dairy farmer in West Weber, Utah and serves as the 18th President of the Utah Farm Bureau Federation.
Gibson has held numerous leadership positions with the Utah Farm Bureau, both at the county and state levels,
including: County Farm Bureau President & Vice President, State Young Farmers & Ranchers Committee Chairman, and the Utah Farm Bureau Board of Directors. Ron is passionate about agriculture and cares deeply about its success in the state of Utah. Gibson currently serves on the board of directors of American Farm Bureau, Farm Bureau Mutual Holding Company and Farm Bureau Life Insurance Company.
Gibson actively serves in various community organizations. He is currently the chair of Utah’s AgPAC, and serves on the Board of Directors of his local marketing co-op, and several other state committees. He has served on the local Farm Service Agency (FSA) committee, and the National Dairy Council Reproduction Board. Gibson has spoken nationally on panels about the futures markets and the dairy industry.
Ron owns and operates a 1,500-cow dairy and grows 1,500 acres of corn silage, barley alfalfa, and onions on his farm, just west of Ogden. His family opens up the farm in the fall to visitors to see first-hand the wonders of agriculture. Ron and his wife, Andrea, love spending time with their five children on the farm, at 4-H livestock shows, and playing at the lake.
Jim Boyle - Owner and Manager, Casa Grande Dairy
Jim Boyle is a fourth generation Arizonan and manager of his family's dairy and integrated crop farm in Casa Grande, Arizona. He is currently a board member of the Maricopa County Farm Bureau and sits on the Executive Board of the United Dairymen of Arizona, a farmer-owned cooperative that markets 80% of the milk produced in Arizona. He is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame, and holds a Ph.D. in Archaeology from New York University. He lives in Chandler with his wife and three children.
