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Dairy Girl Network (DGN) honored Jackie Klippenstein with the Leading Impact award at the recent DGN Forward TogetHER biennial national conference in Independence, Mo.
The DGN Leading Impact award honors a distinguished dairywoman with passionate involvement and leadership achievements positively impacting the dairy industry. DGN members from across the country nominated distinguished dairywomen as candidates.
“Women in dairy are driving progress and shaping the future of our industry,” said DGN President and Founder Laura Daniels. “The DGN awards celebrate their exceptional contributions, honoring those who inspire and lead the way for the next generation of dairy professionals.”
Jackie Klippenstein was honored as the 2024 DGN Leading Impact Award. Klippenstein is Senior Vice President, Chief Government and Industry Relations Officer at Dairy Farmers of America (DFA). She leads and provides guidance and support to government affairs, dairy policy development, sustainability and farm practices teams as well as supports DFA's development and implementation of strategic initiatives.
Prior to joining DFA, Klippenstein served as Vice President for the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives, where she shaped policy and legislative strategies on farm, environmental, and energy issues. She gained extensive dairy policy expertise while working for Senator Russ Feingold (D-WI).
A Long Island, N.Y., native and environmental sciences graduate, Klippenstein is a passionate advocate for dairy cooperatives and farmers, championing inclusivity as the first female board member of the National Milk Producers Federation. She also chairs Newtrient, focusing on reducing U.S. dairy's environmental footprint, and serves on boards including the American Royal, Dairy Grazing Apprenticeship, Cultivating New Frontiers in Agriculture (CNFA) and Agriculture Business Council of Kansas City. She is a dairy ambassador with the Global Dairy platform, a pre-competitive international organization that represents dairy interests with the United Nations.
Within DFA, she uses her leadership to help guide the cooperative on their executive committee and through strategic planning. Klippenstein has also launched initiatives supporting grazing transitions and on-farm energy generation, enhancing farm sustainability and resilience. She connects customers that want to reduce the carbon footprint with opportunities for farmers.
Through her leadership and dedication, Klippenstein continues to drive innovation, sustainability, and inclusivity within the dairy industry, leaving a lasting impact on farmers, cooperatives, and the future of agriculture.
Dairy Girl Network partners with organizations valuing personal and professional development for dairywomen. DGN national partners supporting all women in dairy by enhancing lives and creating opportunities are Alltech, Dairy Management, Inc., Cargill, Dairy Farmers of America, Diamond V, The National Dairy FARM Program, Farm Credit Services of America, Land O’ Lakes, Merck Animal Health and Michael Best.
Dairy Girl Network connects all women of the dairy industry, encouraging ideas and camaraderie in an effort to achieve personal and professional development. Designed as a welcoming network of passionate women involved in dairy, relationships will grow through shared experience, support and inspiration.
