California Dairy Leaders Program- Class VIII

Western United Dairymen  introduced the California Dairy Leaders Program to develop informed producers who will take leadership roles in the next generation of dairy organizations. Six participants have been selected for California Dairy Leaders Class VIII - - Read article

 Class VIII members are:

  •  James Davis, Ta-Ro-Lee Holsteins, Chowchilla
  • Matthew Evangelo, D & E Dairy, Hanford
  • Paul Sousa, Western United Dairymen, Turlock
  • John Taylor, Bivalve Dairy, Pt Reyes Station
  • Chris Van Egmond, Greendale Dairy, Acampo
  • Dustin Wagner, Wagner Dairy L.P., Escalon.


The program’s material will be covered in five multi-day sessions, including a trip to the nations’ capitol to personally meet California legislators. WUD began the program in 2002 to develop informed producers who will take leadership roles in the next generation of the state’s dairy organizations. Since then, seven classes have completed the program.

Class Sessions

  • Session 1 - - Marketing  and Media Training- San Francisco

  • Session 2 - - State Legislative Process- - Sacramento

  • Session 3 - - Economics - - Modesto,

  • Session 4 - - Federal Issues - -  Washington DC,

  • Session 5 - - Environmental Issues - Modesto

  • Graduation, annual convention - -  Rohnert Park March 4, 2009