An update to our government affairs team

by Tim Trotter, chief executive officer

After nearly eight years as director of government affairs for DBA, John Holevoet is leaving our organization to go into private legal practice.

During his tenure, John has been integral to shaping and executing an aggressive, solutions-based policy strategy. He has been a tireless champion of your interests at the Capitol and provided critical help directly to our farmers. We are grateful for his deep commitment to the dairy community.

Make no mistake, John was a vital asset to us, and we will miss having him around daily. However, as we look forward, John will remain available to DBA on an as-needed basis. Also, the association has retained a former member of the government affairs team, attorney Aaron Stauffacher, as general counsel to DBA and to provide legal services around regulations.

Chad Zuleger, our associate director of government affairs, will continue his work fighting for you in Madison, and we will have the ongoing support of veteran consultant Shawn Pfaff.

Additionally, we have retained Houston Engineering to help provide regulatory support. The firm has been working closely with DBA partner Farmers for Sustainable Food and our local farmer-led conservation groups developing continuous improvement strategies to safeguard our natural resources.

Change is nothing new. DBA will remain in the best position to meet the needs of our members as we push the dairy community’s interests forward.

Rest assured we will continue to stand up for farmers — every time.