The information below has been supplied by dairy marketers and other industry organizations. It has not been edited, verified or endorsed by Hoard’s Dairyman.

The International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) has named Danielle Quist to fill the position of senior director of regulatory affairs and counsel. In this role, Quist will be responsible for working with members and government agencies on environmental, worker safety, bioengineered foods labeling and sustainability issues. She also will serve as the association’s legal counsel on issues involving contracts, antitrust, and statutory and regulatory interpretation.

“Danielle’s legal expertise and deep dedication to agricultural issues will fill an important role in advancing the policy interests of dairy processors,” said Cary Frye, IDFA senior vice president of regulatory affairs. “Danielle is uniquely qualified to both advocate for dairy priorities in Washington and address specific regulatory needs of dairy companies, making her a valuable asset to the association and its members.”

Quist comes to IDFA from the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF), where she served for nearly 14 years, most recently as senior counsel for public policy. While there, she worked with lobbyists and coalitions to develop advocacy strategies and draft legislation and regulatory comments to secure positive policy outcomes for the nation’s farmers. She also was the co-lead for AFBF’s legal advocacy program, winning cases, resolving issues and securing policy outcomes for farms, ranches and the entire agricultural community.

Before that, Quist worked on Capitol Hill, serving as a counsel on the House Subcommittee on Energy Policy, Natural Resources and Regulatory Affairs. She is also a former associate of Howrey Simon Arnold & White, LLP and served as a law clerk in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces.

Quist earned her J.D. and bachelor’s degree in political science from Columbia University. She is a member of the D.C. and New York Bars.

Although a native of Ventura County, California, her love of agriculture was fostered at her family’s sheep and alfalfa ranch in San Acacia, New Mexico.

The International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA), Washington, D.C., represents the nation’s dairy manufacturing and marketing industry, which supports nearly 3 million jobs, generates more than $39 billion in direct wages and has an overall economic impact of more than $628 billion. IDFA is the umbrella organization for the Milk Industry Foundation (MIF), the National Cheese Institute (NCI) and the International Ice Cream Association (IICA).

IDFA’s members range from large multinational organizations to single-plant companies. Together they represent more than 85 percent of the milk, cultured products, cheese, ice cream and frozen desserts produced and marketed in the United States and sold throughout the world. The diverse membership includes numerous food retailers, suppliers and companies that offer infant formula and a wide variety of milk-derived ingredients. IDFA can be found at www.idfa.org.