Amplify Management and Communications Skills to Lead Teams Into Success

PDP’s Dairy Managers Institute Offers Three Tiers of Leadership Training

As 2024 comes to a close and dairy professionals look ahead to their goals for 2025, the key to accomplishing those priorities is a strong, effective team. The Dairy Managers Institute^®, presented by Professional Dairy Producers® (PDP), is a perfect way to build the management and communications skills that are essential for long term success. With simultaneous Spanish translation provided for all sessions, an entire management team can build essential skills together.

The two-day program features three successive tiers led by top notch facilitators. The two-day workshop will be held Dec. 10-11, 2024, at PDP Headquarters in Juneau, Wis., with the program beginning at 8:30 a.m. on Tues., Dec. 10, and concluding at 4:00 p.m. on Wed., Dec. 11.

Facilitators include:

Dr. Becky Stewart-Gross, PhD, president and founder of Building Bridges Seminars, will facilitate Tier One: “Lead and manage with insight.” Dr. Stewart-Gross brings more than 30 years of business experience working with organizations from small family-owned businesses to large international corporations. She’s authored several books, including Leader’s Communication Toolkit and Sleeping with Your Business Partner: A Communication Toolkit for Couples in Business Together.

Tier Two, “Master the Art of Coaching,” will be led by Michael Hoffman, founder and owner of Igniting Performance, Inc. Hoffman has customized training and delivered presentations for organizations across the U.S. and abroad for more than 25 years, bringing a highly-interactive style and unique delivery to engage attendees. He will empower participants with the techniques and tactics necessary to own their jobs “on purpose” with an attitude of OWN IT-ship and professionalism.

Dr. Kevin Bernhardt, PhD, University of Wisconsin-Platteville agribusiness professor and UW-Extension farm and management specialist and Linda Swindling, JD, CSP, author and founder of Journey On!, will present Tier Three, “Nail the Financials and Negotiations.” In addition to teaching UW-Platteville students Dr. Bernhardt provides workshops and educational presentations to a variety of state and national audiences, including teaching the accredited PDP Financial Literacy for Dairy program. He has served at the USDA-Foreign Agriculture Services and as a bank lender. Swindling is recognized as one of the Top 30 Global Gurus in Negotiation. As a former law partner and mediator, she has successfully negotiated million-dollar deals and resolved cases that “couldn’t be settled” before beginning her professional development organization and writing books including “Ask Outrageously: The Secret to Getting What You Really Want.”

Registration is now open; dairy professionals are encouraged to register themselves and their team members today. Registration fee includes materials and meals during sessions. For more details and lodging information visit www.pdpw.org or contact PDP at 800-947-7379. Each tier of Dairy Managers Institute is accredited for up to 14 Dairy AdvanCE continuing education credits.

Follow along digitally in advance of and during the event by following PDP on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and X.

Professional Dairy Producers (PDP) is the nation’s largest dairy producer-led organization of its kind, focusing on producer professionalism, stakeholder engagement and unified outreach to share ideas, solutions, resources and experiences that help dairy producers succeed.”