Reinhart recognized for service to Professional Dairy Producers Foundation

Deb Reinhart, Executive Director of Professional Dairy Producers Foundation, was recognized for her years of service to the dairy industry and her influential role in establishing, volunteering for, and managing the foundation since its creation in 2002. Reinhart was honored on March 14, during the 2019 PDPW Business Conference at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison, Wis.

“In her many roles, Deb has always been a shining example of servant leadership. We appreciate her tireless work to raise funds and support so many programs for dairy producers in Wisconsin and around the country,” said Shelly Mayer, Executive Director of PDPW and dairy farmers. “We are grateful for her years of service and wish her well in retirement.”

Reinhart was serving as a board member of Professional Dairy Producers of Wisconsin when the idea for the Foundation was developed, and she volunteered her time to raise funds. The Professional Dairy Producers Foundation was established as a vehicle to raise funds and award grants for educational programs and initiatives.  It is a charitable 501(c)(3) organization. 

As the Foundation and needs of the dairy community grew, it became a greater commitment. In 2015, she agreed to serve as the Foundation’s full-time executive director.

The concept for the Foundation was to provide a source of seed funding for innovative new dairy programs.  Over the years, many of the programs funded by the Foundation have been repeated, replicated and then developed into positions to find their own self-sustaining sponsorship, which allows the Foundation to move on to support the next new innovative programming ideas in development.

In addition to her role at the Foundation, Reinhart owns and operates a dairy farm with her husband, David Geiser. Reinhart plans to retire from the Foundation at the end of May 2019.

She has been working with her successor, Janet Keller, who will assume the executive director role on June 1.