Nominations are being accepted for the Pennsylvania Dairy Industry Awards.

The Pennsylvania Dairymen’s Association, Center for Dairy Excellence and the Professional Dairy Managers of Pennsylvania sponsor the annual awards, which recognize industry excellence in leadership, service and innovation.

“We have an abundance of dairy leadership in Pennsylvania,” says David Smith, executive director of the Pennsylvania Dairymen’s Association. “These leaders are humble and dedicated to promoting, serving and leading numerous dairy organizations within the state as well as nationwide. It is important for us to recognize these servant leaders.”

Four industry awards are offered annually to Pennsylvania residents. Recipients will be recognized at the 2019 Pennsylvania Dairy Summit and within the Dairy Hall of Fame at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex.

The four awards recognized through this program are:

• Pennsylvania Distinguished Dairy Producer Award. This award recognizes dairy producers, either individual or farm enterprise, who have demonstrated superior management capabilities within their own dairy business and provide outstanding leadership and service to the dairy industry.

• Pennsylvania Distinguished Dairy Woman Award. This award recognizes a dairy woman who has distinguished herself in her leadership and service to the dairy industry, both on the farm or to the broader industry.

• Pennsylvania Dairy Service Award. This award recognizes an individual in the industry who has distinguished him or herself in serving the greater interest of Pennsylvania’s dairy industry and its individual dairy farms.

• Pennsylvania Dairy Innovator Award. This award recognizes an individual or business entity that has provided tremendous innovation to progress Pennsylvania’s dairy industry toward a brighter future, either by advancing the marketplace or creating new opportunities for innovation on the dairy farm.

All nominations must be received by Nov. 16. Nominations must include the completed application form and one letter of support outlining why the candidate is qualified to receive the award.

Applications and previous award winners can be found by visiting centerfordairyexcellence.org. Individuals who are nominated will be notified in late November with a request for information due in December. Selected recipients will be notified in January.

Qualified applicants stay in the nomination pool for three years after being submitted for consideration. Nominators will be given the opportunity to update the nomination each year following their original submission.

For questions, contact Myrannda Kleckner, communications and marketing manager for the center, at 717-346-0849 or [email protected].

Source: Pennsylvania Center for Dairy Excellence