GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas — With heartfelt gratitude and mixed emotions, Dairy MAX announces the retirement of our CEO, Mike Konkle, effective December 31, 2024.
Konkle has been an integral part of Dairy MAX for 18 years, steering the organization with visionary leadership, unwavering dedication and commitment to our mission of advocating with purpose and connecting the hearts and minds of communities everywhere. Under his guidance, we have achieved significant milestones and fostered a strong company culture of innovation and integrity.
Throughout his tenure, Konkle has exemplified the values that DAIRY MAX stands for. His passion for dairy farmers, the team and the dairy industry has inspired us all and will continue to resonate with our work for years to come.
Konkle has integrated our strategic planning process with the development of a vibrant organizational culture. His approach has not only established clear, ambitious goals for 2025 but has also fostered an environment where these objectives align with our core values. This has enhanced our daily operations and empowered our team to serve over 900 dairy farm families across our eight-state region.
Additionally, Konkle has strengthened our organization’s capacity to manage issues and crises by enhancing our structure and capabilities, ensuring we operate with effectiveness and resilience. His efforts have solidified our foundation, allowing us to respond to challenges with confidence and integrity.
Under his leadership, we have also seen a remarkable expansion in our partnership relationships, significantly amplifying our dairy farmers' impact. These collaborations have been instrumental in extending our outreach to both youth and adults.
“We are grateful for Mike's leadership and the legacy he leaves behind,” said Mary Kraft, chairman of the board. “While we will miss his vision and leadership, we are excited about the future and the strong foundation Mike has built that will allow continued success.”
A transition plan is in place to ensure a smooth and effective handover of responsibilities. The board of directors is actively engaged in selecting a successor who will continue to build on Konkle’s accomplishments and lead Dairy MAX into its next chapter.
About DAIRY MAX
Founded more than 40 years ago, Dairy MAX is one of the leading regional dairy councils in America – representing more than 900 dairy farmers and serving communities in eight states: Colorado, southwest Kansas, Louisiana, Montana, New Mexico, western Oklahoma, Texas and Wyoming. A nonprofit organization, Dairy MAX is part of a nationwide effort to support dairy farming and drive impact for every dairy farmer while promoting American agriculture. The organization operates five audience outreach programs: business development, consumer marketing, health and wellness, industry image and relations and school marketing. For more information about Dairy MAX and its team of experts, visit DairyMAX.org. Dairy resources and delicious recipes are available at DairyDiscoveryZone.com.
