CEO of DFA to retire

Gary Hanman, chief executive officer of Dairy Farmers of America, Inc. (DFA), said that he will retire as head of the farmer-owned dairy cooperative effective Dec. 31, 2005.

A native of north central Missouri, Hanman, 71, has been CEO of DFA since its creation in 1998. From 1975-1997, Hanman served as CEO of one of DFA’s predecessor cooperatives, Mid-America Dairymen, Inc. (Mid-Am) of Springfield, Mo. Before that, he was the first hired chief executive officer of the Square Deal Milk Producers Association of Highland, Ill., a cooperative which became part of Mid-Am on July 1, 1968.

 “DFA was created by dairy farmers, who wanted to take control over their destiny in a rapidly changing business environment, and Gary Hanman helped us make that a reality,” said Tom Camerlo, a dairy farmer from Florence, Colo., and chairman of DFA’s board of directors. “We’re grateful to Gary for his leadership. With him, we built a marketing cooperative that can compete on a global level, while providing a grassroots structure that ensures dairy farmer input and control.”

According to Camerlo, Hanman has agreed to continue in a consulting role at DFA to assist in the management transition and in defining future cooperative marketing opportunities.

“Together, we have achieved the initial objectives we set for DFA. I’m proud of how far we’ve come,” said Hanman. “I will continue to be available to DFA and look forward to my new role in helping our leadership with transition and working for improved cooperative marketing opportunities for our dairy farmers.”

Camerlo said the DFA dairy farmer board of directors has a succession plan in place and intends to announce a new CEO before year-end.

DFA Press Release

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