National Dairy Shrine Elects New Board Members, Appoints Officers

 

At its recent annual meeting the National Dairy Shrine appointed four new board members and welcomed new leadership to the Board of Directors.

The person who will lead the organization as President in 2027 is Jason Johnson of Northwood, New Hampshire. Jason’s career has included managing dairy operations around the United States and Canada, and for the past 10 years he has worked in producer relations throughout the supply chain, first

with Stonyfield Organic and most recently with The a2 Milk Company. Jason, his wife, and three children also own a small herd of registered Guernseys and Jerseys. They raise breeding stock under his grandparent’s original prefix – Johnsonacres, exhibit at events throughout the Northeast and U.S., and began a farm store in 2023. Besides his role with National Dairy Shrine, he is also Vice President of New England Jersey and a director of the American Jersey Cattle Association where he chairs the IT/ID committee.

The organization also selected Sarah Schmidt as President-Elect. Sarah, from New Ulm, Minnesota, is currently Vice President of Marketing at Associated Milk Producers, Inc. Sarah Schmidt is vice president of marketing for Associated Milk Producers Inc. (AMPI). She leads marketing communications and brand strategy to share AMPI’s story, strengthen customer and industry relationships, and identify opportunities for growth. Schmidt graduated with summa cum laude honors from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities with an animal science degree and has received numerous awards and accolades throughout her career. Schmidt and her husband, Kelly, live on a farm near New Ulm where they are raising three daughters. The family enjoys raising and showing cattle and hogs. They are active in 4-H, FFA and junior livestock associations.

Joining the board of directors are Dr. Bethany Dado-Senn, Janina Siemers, Natalie Sneller, and Clancey Krahn. Dr. Bethany Dado-Senn is herd manager at her family’s 500-cow dairy, Four Hands Holsteins, located in Amery, WI. She also serves as an independent calf consultant, translating dairy science into practical on-farm strategies both in person and online via her account, @drdairyfarmer. She earned her B.S. and Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and an M.S. from the University of Florida, where she studied how heat stress impacts early-life calf development.

Janina Siemers is a part of the fifth generation at Siemers Holsteins in Newton, Wisconsin, where she is an active member of the team, along with her husband Dan and her brother-in-law, Paul. She is excited to work alongside the sixth generation, including her sons, Jordan and Connor and her nephews, Josh and Jake. Janina has coached Dairy Quiz Bowl for many years and has had the opportunity to mentor great kids! In 2019 Janina was honored with the World Dairy Expo Dairy Woman of the Year.

Natalie Sneller was raised on her family’s Holstein operations in the state of Maine; Conant Acres and Dirigo Holsteins, and is the fourth generation of her family to be involved in the Registered Holstein business. She attended Virginia Tech, where she graduated in 2007 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Dairy Science and Agricultural Economics.

Natalie joined the team at World Wide Sires in 2007 and has served the company in a variety of sales and marketing roles, starting as a Marketing Assistant, a Senior Account Manager and an Area Director of Marketing. Natalie is currently the International Product Manager and a Business Development Director for World Wide Sires. Today, Natalie works and resides in Canton, Maine with her husband Matt and their three children Gerrit, Aubrey and Cameron. In addition to her work at WWS, she is actively involved in her family’s dairy, Conant Acres.

Clancey Krahn, Albany, Oregon, is the most recent student representative on the National Dairy Shrine board. A senior at Oklahoma State University, Clancey is majoring in agricultural communications and animal science. With deep roots in her family’s creamery, Royal Riverside Farm in Albany, Oregon, and an extensive national show career, Krahn hopes to advocate for the dairy industry through marketing, policy, and consumer engagement.

For more information about National Dairy Shrine visit www.dairyshrine.org.