October 13, 2025
 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Shelly Mayer
800-947-7379
mail@pdpw.org
 
Program flier in English
Program flier in Spanish
Program logo
 
 
Build Leadership Skills at PDP Dairy Management Institute
Two days, three tiers of training set for Dec. 16-17, 2025
 
DAIRY NEWS – For many dairy farmers, a top priority is providing the best possible care for their cows. And while managing team members is as critical as managing the herd, it is a business area that is far less comfortable for most. Dairy Managers Institute^®, an interactive workshop developed by Professional Dairy Producers® (PDP), is designed to equip producers and other dairy professionals with the tools and resources they need to more effectively lead and manage their teams while also attracting top-notch employees and building strong team members.
 
The two-day workshop will be held Dec. 16-17, 2025, at Northeast Wisconsin Technical College in Green Bay, Wis. Featuring simultaneous translation into Spanish, the program will begin at 8:30 a.m. Tues., Dec. 16, and conclude at 4:00 p.m. Wed., Dec. 17. The program is structured in three consecutive tiers to help attendees enhance their leadership, communications and coaching skills while successively building on what they’ve learned in prior sessions.
 
Participants select one of the three workshop tiers:

• Tier One: “Lead and Manage with Insight,” presented by Dr. Becky Stewart-Gross, PhD, president and founder of Building Bridges Seminars. This session will focus on the fundamentals of leadership, understanding one’s own leadership style and implementing change more effectively.
• Tier Two: “Master the Art of Coaching,” will be led by Michael Hoffman, founder and owner of Igniting Performance, Inc. He will provide practical strategies and insights into coaching team members, delivering effective feedback and building a greater sense of ownership and involvement among each member.
• Tier Three: “Nail the Financials and Negotiations,” taught by Dr. Kevin Bernhardt, PhD, University of Wisconsin-Platteville agribusiness professor and UW-Extension farm and management specialist, and Linda Swindling, founder and CEO of Journey On, a Dallas-based professional development organization Journey On! Participants will learn the fundamentals of a farm’s financials and reporting, recognizing different negotiation styles and how to leverage them, and developing relationships in negotiations that benefit everyone.

Registration is now open; dairy professionals are encouraged to register their teams today. Registration fee includes materials and meals during sessions. For more details and lodging information visit www.pdpw.org or contact PDP at 800-947-7379. Each tier of Dairy Managers Institute is accredited for up to 14 Dairy AdvanCE continuing education credits.
 
Follow along digitally in advance of and during the event by following @dairyPDPW on Facebook, Instagram, X, and LinkedIn.
 
Professional Dairy Producers® (PDP) is the nation's largest dairy producer-led organization of its kind, focusing on producer professionalism, stakeholder engagement and unified outreach to share ideas, solutions, resources and experiences that help dairy producers succeed.
 
 
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