ST. PAUL, MINN. — Midwest Dairy announced Trudy Wastweet, formerly the dairy checkoff organization’s chief operating officer, has been named chief strategy officer.

The company, which represents 4,000 dairy farm families in a 10-state region, said Wastweet in her new role will guide strategic performance and “enhance organizational health.”

The COO for Midwest Dairy the past seven years, the newly named CSO will be responsible for leading strategic planning for the company, which said Wastweet will help its farmers through innovation, focus and reportable impact measures.

Additionally, the company said Wastweet is expected to continue building a positive work culture and create development and training opportunities that grow job skills and add to career and professional development for Midwest Dairy’s staff.

Corey Scott, chief executive officer for the company, said Wastweet has a passion for Midwest Dairy that will help her strategically guide the organization. 

"Trudy’s contribution to Midwest Dairy has been instrumental in the strategic direction of the organization to date and she can be credited with leading the efforts in identifying business objectives that deliver the most value to the investment of our Midwest Dairy farmers in recent years,” Scott said.

Wastweet first joined Midwest Dairy in 2017. Earlier in her career, she worked as director of congressional relations for the American Farm Bureau Federation, deputy secretary of agriculture for the South Dakota Department of Agriculture, national policy advisor for the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation and assistant executive director for the Minnesota Pork Producers Association. She graduated from South Dakota State University with a bachelor's degree in agriculture education.

Midwest Dairy is funded by farmers from its 10-state region of Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas and eastern Oklahoma.