MADISON, WIS. — The Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA) chose 11 dairy industry leaders to honor with its annual awards in 2025.

WCMA described the honorees as trailblazers in their respective career paths. This year’s award winners are listed below.

• Mike Neu, Novonesis (WCMA Life Member Award) – Neu, recipient of WCMA’s highest honor, joined Chr. Hansen (now Novonesis) more than 30 years ago, and continues to work with customers seeking high-quality cultures and enzymes. He currently works as the company’s global strategic projects manager for its cheese business. Through the years, Neu also has served 12 years on the WCMA board of directors.

• Barney Krueger, Glanbia Nutritionals (Luminary Award) – Now semi-retired after four decades in the dairy industry, Krueger’s career has included critical leadership roles at Glanbia Nutritionals, where he was a leader in the development of the company’s advanced whey products.

• Sandy Toney, Masters Gallery Foods, Inc. (Luminary Award) – Toney, who now works as vice president of special projects for Masters Gallery, has been with the company since 1989. Over the years, she has been credited with forging a path for women in the cheese industry. She became in 2013 the first woman to reach the WCMA’s highest leadership level at its championship cheese contests.

• Sid Cook, Carr Valley Cheese (Cheese Industry Champion Award) – A fourth-generation cheesemaker, Cook’s accolades include transforming Carr Valley Cheese from a small cheddar style business to a world renowned artisan cheese company. His responsibilities at the family-owned operation include overseeing four cheese factories and seven retail locations. He has four master cheesemaker certifications.

• Steve McKeon, Emmi Roth USA (Cheese Industry Champion Award) – President, chief operating officer and owner at Roth Kase Ltd. (now Emmi Roth USA) from 1991 to 2009, McKeon’s company was considered a leader in the renaissance of specialty cheese production in Wisconsin.

• Kent Keller, Keller Technologies, Inc. (Distinguished Service Award) – Keller holds four US patents and throughout his career has focused on developing technologies for processing whey and producing novel proteins. His innovations are considered instrumental in global lactose production.

• Dave Potter, Dairy Connection, Inc. (Distinguished Service Award) – Potter’s career in the industry began with 21 years at the dairy culture and enzyme company that is now IFF, working on the technical application of cultures and ingredients for manufacturing fermented milks and cheeses. Next, he joined his wife Cathy at Dairy Connection, which now provides ingredients and support to 1,200-plus creameries. Through the years, he has worked with smaller companies to advance cheese quality and safety.

• Wayne Gjersvig, Foremost Farms (Vanguard Award) – Before retiring in 2008, he served in a number of roles as his career progressed, eventually working in technical services and operations management for Foremost Farms. Over the span of his career, which included post-retirement consultancy, Gjersvig contributed to various innovations in whey, ingredients and cheese processing.

• Rod Kregel, Prairie Farms Dairy (Vanguard Award) – Now working on just a part-time basis, Kregel has spent almost 50 years working at Prairie Farms’ Luana, Iowa, cheese manufacturing facility. He has led plant operations in the production of Swiss, baby Swiss, Havarti, gouda, Maasdam, feta and cream cheese, earning the facility numerous awards, including a gold medal for Swiss at the 1994 World Championship Cheese Contest.

• Dean Sommer, Center for Dairy Research (Babcock Award) – After starting his career in dairy with jobs that involved product quality, operations, R&D and production optimization, Sommer joined the Center for Dairy Research at the University of Wisconsin. A cheese technologist, he works with companies throughout the US on quality and production related to cheese and other dairy products. Sommer also instructs numerous courses that make an impact on dairy companies worldwide.

• Mark Stephenson, University of Wisconsin-Madison (Babcock Award) – The recently retired director of diary policy analysis, Stephenson researched the dairy industry, addressing processing costs, new technologies, farm costs and price risk management. His work through the years also involved spatial milk pricing, international trade and milk price forecasting. Notably, his crucial studies on dairy plant costs of production in 2007, 2021 and 2023 helped the US Department of Agriculture develop milk pricing formulas, contributing to the final decision to raise make allowances.

WCMA will recognize the award winners during a breakfast April 17, 2025, as part of CheeseCon, in Madison, Wisconsin.