Eleven dairy farmers and allied industry professionals graduated from PDPW Cornerstone Dairy Academy™ after completing three pillars of leadership training in the application-based professional-development program.
Presented by the Professional Dairy Producers® (PDPW) this week, all three pillars of Cornerstone Dairy Academy are designed to build the skills of dairy farmers and industry professionals who want to lead with purpose, character and integrity. The Academy focuses on communication, emotional intelligence, professional etiquette, understanding generational differences, integrity and ethical decision-making, being a visionary thinker and servant-oriented leadership.
The annual 2021 Cornerstone Dairy Academy began on Tuesday, March 16 and was held in conjunction with the PDPW Business Conference held at the Kalahari Resorts and Convention Center in Wisconsin Dells, Wis. on March 17-18.
“It’s rewarding to hear their take-away messages and see how they implement their new skills,” said Carla Gunst, PDPW program and project manager.
The 2021 Cornerstone Dairy Academy graduates completed the Influential, Visionary and Servant Leadership pillars. They are:
Carissa Backhaus, Fond du Lac, Wis., Bovisync
Whitney Birschbach, Fond du Lac, Wis., Agromatic
Derek Brander, Spring Green, Wis., Brander’s Dairy Farm LLC
Sydney Endres, Lodi, Wis., American Jersey Cattle Association
Katie Holewinski, Beaver Dam, Wis., Armor Animal Health
Collin Keel, Juneau, Wis., Animix
Rachel Kroeplien, Sheboygan Falls, Wis., Fly-By Acres
Angie Kuester, Reedsville, Wis., CP Feeds
Cassi Miller, Madison, Wis., World Dairy Expo
Casey Sell, Beaver Dam, Wis., Animix
Emily Truttmann, Juneau, Wis., Animix
The PDPW Cornerstone Dairy Academy is funded in part by a grant from the Professional Dairy Producers Foundation. To learn more about the Cornerstone Dairy Academy, visit www.PDPW.org or contact PDPW at 800-947-7379.
Professional Dairy Producers (PDPW) 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.
