What brought you into agriculture / farm technologies?

I grew up on a small grain farm in Illinois and was actively involved in 4 H and FFA, where I showed horses and competed in livestock focused Career Development Events. I earned a bachelor’s degree in animal science with a biotechnology/pre veterinary medicine focus from the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, followed by a master’s degree in Dairy Cattle Physiology under Dr. Geoff Dahl. My graduate research focused on improving milk production through frequent milking in early lactation and dry cow photoperiod treatments (increasing or decreasing the amount of light during the dry period) and looking at the effect on milk production in the subsequent lactation.
I began my career at Westfalia Surge in 2005 as a Junior R&D Chemist, supporting hygiene chemical development and on farm field testing. I later transitioned into technical support for DairyPlan in North America, working closely with customers to analyze parlor performance and herd data. I advanced into leadership roles within technical support and herd management groups where I was able to continue to support dealers and end customers. More recently our team was able to contribute to the development of a software solution for Automatic Milking Systems, that eventually developed into DairyNet Analytics with the global team. In fall 2023, I moved into my current role as Senior Director of Technical Support, Service, and Training.

What makes your work meaningful to you?

Throughout my 20 year career at GEA, I have primarily served in customer facing roles, working closely with dealers and end customers. I am deeply motivated by partnering with customers—whether through on farm field testing new products or helping them analyze farm data to improve efficiency or new equipment installations. I have also valued the opportunity to collaborate with customers to identify market needs and translate those insights internally, serving as a strong voice of the customer to support our shared success. Being present at a new rotary startup and witnessing the culmination of months of collaborative effort from our team in NAM – as those first cows are milked—that is what it’s all about.

What makes your work meaningful to you?

Throughout my 20 year career at GEA, I have primarily served in customer facing roles, working closely with dealers and end customers. I am deeply motivated by partnering with customers—whether through on farm field testing new products or helping them analyze farm data to improve efficiency or new equipment installations. I have also valued the opportunity to collaborate with customers to identify market needs and translate those insights internally, serving as a strong voice of the customer to support our shared success. Being present at a new rotary startup and witnessing the culmination of months of collaborative effort from our team in NAM – as those first cows are milked—that is what it’s all about.

What will modern dairy farming look like in 10 years in your opinion?

In the U.S. market, dairy farm consolidation is expected to continue over the next decade. While this will result in fewer individual customers, overall cow numbers are projected to remain steady. As farms grow larger and the number of locations decreases, dairy producers will need to operate more efficiently by leveraging technologies such as CowScout, CattleEye, and DairyNet to quickly identify animals requiring attention. Automation will play a critical role in enabling producers to milk more cows with fewer workers. This automation may begin with relatively simple solutions, such as parlor detachers, but will expand to advanced systems including milking robots (R9500), feed robots (F4500), rotaries, and emerging technologies like DairyProX. Together, these solutions lower labor demands and improve parlor efficiency while preserving the individual care required for cow health and productivity.

What change would you most like to see for women in agriculture?

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, approximately one third of U.S. farmers are women. Applied to dairy, this means women manage roughly one out of every three farms we serve. This reinforces the importance of engaging directly with women owners and decision makers. While our approach to working with dairy producers remains consistent, it highlights the opportunity to further support and attract women into dairy farming and related industry roles, recognizing the valuable expertise they bring to the business.