Tom Vilsack announced as new president and CEO of U.S. Dairy Export Council

Jan 17, 2017

Vilsack left position as Secretary of Agriculture last week

By Diego Flammini
Assistant Editor, North American Content
Farms.com

After leaving the United States Department of Agriculture last week and amid reports he’d be joining the U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC), Tom Vilsack has officially been introduced as the organization’s new president and CEO.

Effective Feb. 1, Vilsack will join the organization and focus on enhancing the global demand for American dairy products and ingredients. His duties will include providing strategic leadership and oversight of global promotion, regulatory affairs and trade policy.

"Growing the global market for U.S. dairy products is essential to the future of the dairy industry and America's dairy farmers,” Vilsack said in a release. “I've spent my career in public service as a tireless advocate for farmers and American agriculture and can think of no better way to continue this service than by leading the U.S. Dairy Export Council.”

Members of the Council and the American dairy farming community say someone with Vilsack’s track record could do big things for the industry.

"Secretary Vilsack is a proven leader on global issues ranging from child nutrition and food security to biotechnology and sustainable agriculture,” Paul Rovey, USDEC chairman and Arizona dairy farmer, said in the release. “He shares the dairy community's commitment to advancing responsible solutions to global challenges and collaboration across the industry."

Tom Vilsack

Vilsack takes over from Tom Suber, who served as president from 1995 to 2016. Under Suber, U.S. dairy exports grew from five per cent to nearly 15.5 per cent, according to the USDEC.

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