Washington, D.C., Oct. 21, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) today announced that its Executive Council has selected Matt Herrick to serve as the association’s next president and chief executive officer, succeeding Michael Dykes, D.V.M., following a decade of leadership.
Herrick will assume the role of president and CEO on January 1, 2027. Dykes will remain with IDFA through January 31, working closely with Herrick to ensure a smooth leadership transition before retiring at the end of the month.
Herrick returns to IDFA after serving as president and CEO of the International Bottled Water Association (IBWA). He previously spent more than seven years on IDFA’s executive team, ultimately serving as executive vice president and chief impact officer, where he directed strategy for policy, advocacy, communications and impact and helped build many of the programs and capabilities that strengthened the association’s influence and value to members. A veteran food and agriculture executive and bipartisan advocacy and communications leader, Herrick brings more than two decades of experience across industry, government and public affairs.
“Matt is an exceptional leader who understands IDFA, our members and the opportunities ahead for U.S. dairy,” said Daragh Maccabee, chair of the IDFA Executive Council and chief executive of Idaho Milk Products. “The Executive Council conducted a thoughtful and comprehensive search focused on identifying the right leader to build on IDFA’s tremendous strength and momentum, and Matt stood out for his strategic vision, his proven ability to lead complex organizations and deliver results, and his deep understanding of food and agriculture. He knows firsthand the caliber of this organization and its people, and he brings the experience and energy to help IDFA and our industry reach even greater heights.”
Maccabee continued, “Michael has positioned IDFA exceptionally well for the future. The association is financially strong, highly respected and influential in Washington, deeply engaged across the dairy supply chain, and supported by an outstanding team. Matt’s selection gives us the opportunity to build on that foundation with a leader who knows IDFA and dairy exceptionally well and who shares our ambition for the future of this industry.”
At IDFA, Herrick helped strengthen and modernize the association’s advocacy and public affairs capabilities, partnering with colleagues to introduce new digital engagement tools and revenue-generating programs while advancing major policy priorities affecting the industry. He helped build IDFA’s grassroots advocacy network and state affairs capabilities, helped lead the association through major animal disease and other crisis events, and led advocacy campaigns that secured millions of dollars in federal funding for dairy processors and protected and expanded milk, cheese and yogurt in federal nutrition programs.
Herrick also established the IDFA Foundation, serving as its first executive director and putting in place its governance structure and independent board. Under his leadership, the Foundation conducted successful annual fundraising campaigns and, through grants and dairy food donations, helped provide more than one million meals to people facing food insecurity.
At IBWA, Herrick has led the association’s advocacy, membership, financial and organizational strategy. During his tenure, he strengthened IBWA’s presence in Washington, launched new public affairs and revenue-generating initiatives, grew membership and helped position the organization for long-term financial resilience.
“Returning to lead the International Dairy Foods Association is a tremendous honor and a true homecoming,” said Herrick. “Having spent years working alongside the dedicated processors, cooperatives and farmers who make American dairy an economic engine and a nutritional cornerstone, I have boundless respect for the IDFA Board, our members and our exceptional staff. I am thrilled to rejoin this community at such a pivotal time to help meet the world’s growing demand for wholesome dairy nutrition. Together, we will write an ambitious new chapter of advocacy, growth and effectiveness—building on the inspiring, optimistic legacy of my friend and mentor, Michael Dykes.”
Herrick is a three-time presidential appointee who has held senior leadership positions at the U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Agency for International Development and served in government roles spanning Democratic and Republican administrations. His career includes global experience in agricultural trade and exports and international agricultural development, as well as leadership on food and nutrition policy, crisis and risk communications, and high-stakes advocacy. His experience working across administrations and political parties has shaped his ability to bridge political divides and build coalitions around complex food and agriculture issues.
He also previously led communications and public affairs for global organizations including the Rockefeller Foundation and Oxfam America and established the food and agriculture practice at a Washington public affairs firm. Herrick holds a bachelor’s degree from the College of the Holy Cross and a master’s degree from Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications.
Dykes, who recruited Herrick to IDFA in 2019, said Herrick combines a deep commitment to dairy with an understanding of what makes IDFA successful.
“I have had the privilege of working closely with Matt and could not be more pleased to see him return to IDFA,” said Michael Dykes, D.V.M., president and CEO of IDFA. “Matt made an enormous contribution to this organization during his years here. He is strategic, creative, driven and deeply committed to getting results for members. He knows IDFA, knows our members and knows this industry, and I am confident he will build on our momentum and make this organization even stronger.”
Herrick will assume leadership of IDFA at a period of significant momentum for both the association and U.S. dairy. Under Dykes’ leadership, IDFA has strengthened its membership, financial position and influence in Washington while helping secure major outcomes for dairy in nutrition policy, school meals and nutrition programs, trade and international market access, and other priorities important to dairy processors and marketers.
Herrick’s headshot is available here.
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The International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA), Washington, D.C., represents the nation’s dairy manufacturing and marketing industry, which supports more than 3 million jobs that generate $198 billion in wages and $779 billion in overall economic impact. IDFA’s diverse membership ranges from multinational organizations to single-plant companies, from dairy companies and cooperatives to food retailers and suppliers, all on the cutting edge of innovation and sustainable business practices. Together, they represent most of the milk, cheese, ice cream, yogurt and cultured products, and dairy ingredients produced and marketed in the United States and sold throughout the world. Delicious, safe and nutritious, dairy foods offer unparalleled health and consumer benefits to people of all ages.
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