United Dairy Industry of Michigan Appoints New Chief Operating Officer

(OKEMOS, MI June 6, 2022) Melissa Gerharter has been promoted to Chief Operating Officer (COO) at United Dairy Industry of Michigan (UDIM). In her new role as COO, Gerharter will be managing the day-to-day operations of the organization, including providing overall leadership and direction on the ongoing work of UDIM to deliver consumer-centric strategies to increase sales and trust.

“I am thrilled and honored to continue my tenure as Chief Operating Officer at UDIM,” said Gerharter. “I believe wholeheartedly, not only in the dairy products we promote, the farmers we represent, but in the entire team at UDIM.” Gerharter will also be accountable for bringing new efficiencies to the way UDIM works, facilitating collaboration across teams, ensuring programming and contracts align with company goals and working directly with finance & operations on budget building, management, IT, HR and other administrative functions.

Dwyer Williams, who was recently appointed CEO of UDIM in February is looking forward to working with Gerharter in her new role. “In my brief time here, getting to know Melissa has been a pleasure. She is thoughtful, full of ideas and passion abounds for what she does at UDIM on behalf of Dairy farmers,” said Williams.

Gerharter joined UDIM in 2015 as Manager of Sports Nutrition, where she was responsible for growing and managing sports nutrition outreach to consumers and health care professionals. She later took on the role of Executive Director of Health and Wellness, where she oversaw the strategy of dairy promotion and education in schools and with health care professionals.

About the United Dairy Industry of Michigan                                                            

The United Dairy Industry of Michigan (UDIM) is dedicated to serving Michigan’s hard-working dairy farm families and promoting Michigan’s locally produced dairy products. UDIM is the umbrella organization for the American Dairy Association and Dairy Council of Michigan. These non-profit organizations provide dairy product promotion and nutrition education services on behalf of their funding members.

###