The International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) is preparing for a major leadership transition after President and CEO Michael Dykes, D.V.M., announced plans to retire at the end of 2026, closing out a decade at the helm of the organization.
The announcement sets in motion a formal succession process, with IDFA’s Executive Council officer group forming a committee to oversee the selection of the association’s next president and CEO. Dykes will remain in his role through Dec. 31, 2026, ensuring continuity as the organization navigates the transition.
“Michael has been a transformational leader for IDFA and for the U.S. dairy industry,” says Daragh Maccabee, chair of the IDFA Executive Council. “Over the past decade, he has strengthened IDFA’s credibility, expanded its influence, and helped position the association and the dairy industry for long-term success. Under his leadership, IDFA has built one of the strongest advocacy teams in Washington, strengthened its financial position, expanded industry engagement across the supply chain, and helped deliver extraordinary momentum for dairy both domestically and globally. The organization is exceptionally well positioned for the future.”
Dykes joined International Dairy Foods Association in 2017, stepping into the role at a time when the industry was facing big questions around policy, trade and consumer perception. Since then, he’s helped steer the organization through a period of steady growth and some of its most visible policy wins in recent years.
“It has been the privilege of a lifetime to serve America’s dairy industry and to lead this outstanding organization,” Dykes says. “Together, our members, board leaders, and talented team have strengthened dairy’s voice, expanded opportunities for our industry, and positioned dairy as an essential part of America’s future. I have never been more optimistic about the trajectory of the U.S. dairy industry or the strength of IDFA heading into the next decade.”
Under his leadership, IDFA expanded its membership and worked to better connect the full dairy supply chain under one umbrella, strengthening how the industry speaks on policy issues in Washington. That work helped elevate dairy’s role in nutrition policy, including recent federal dietary guidelines that reaffirmed dairy as a core food group and recognized dairy foods across fat levels as part of healthy dietary patterns.
The association also played a key role in advancing the bipartisan Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act, which restored whole and reduced-fat milk options in schools and expanded choices for students and families.
On the trade side, Dykes pushed to strengthen U.S. dairy’s position in global markets, including through advisory roles with the Office of the United States Trade Representative and the Agricultural Policy Advisory Committee. Those efforts have been part of a broader push to keep U.S. dairy competitive internationally.
More recently, he helped launch the IDFA Foundation in 2022 and expanded nutrition incentive programs tied to SNAP, aimed at improving access to dairy as an affordable, nutrient-dense food.
His tenure also included leading through major disruptions, including the COVID-19 pandemic, when dairy plants were deemed essential infrastructure to keep food moving, and during Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza outbreaks, when the industry worked closely with government to maintain confidence in dairy safety and supply chains.
Dykes will stay on through the end of 2026 as the search for his successor moves forward.
