The U.S. Dairy Sustainability Commitment team is made up of leaders from the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy, Dairy Research Institute, and Dairy Management Inc.™, which manages the dairy checkoff on behalf of the nation’s farmers. The sustainability team is dedicated to working with the entire dairy industry in order to provide consumers with the nutritious dairy products they want in a way that makes our industry, the earth and its people economically, environmentally and socially better — now and for future generations.
Erin Fitzgerald
Senior Vice President, Sustainability
Erin Fitzgerald works with dairy producers, processors, retailers, associations, universities, government and nongovernmental organizations to drive innovation that will strengthen U.S. dairy’s marketplace position while generating lasting economic, environmental and social value. She led the effort to build a long-term strategic plan for the U.S. Dairy Sustainability Commitment and establish industrywide sustainability goals.
Prior to joining DMI in 2007, Fitzgerald served as senior manager, business development at Lowendal Group, a European operational cost reduction firm. She also led multiple projects at Cardinal Health, focused on developing key performance indicators for sales growth in Chicago and Maurepas, France, where she received the Chairman’s award for integrating a pan-European business plan for sales and marketing measurement.
Fitzgerald is an Aspen Institute First Movers Fellow and a graduate of the University of Notre Dame.
Matthew Welch
Sustainable Business Development
Matthew Welch focuses on strategy and stakeholder engagement for the U.S. Dairy Sustainability Commitment. He has more than 12 years of experience in general management, sustainable development and consulting. In that time, he has run a profitable retail food business; assisted small-scale agribusinesses in Peru with the U.S. Peace Corps; conducted revenue generation projects for nonprofit organizations; and consulted for Fortune 500 companies including PepsiCo and Ecolab Inc.
Welch holds a bachelor’s degree in international studies from DePaul University, a master’s degree in natural resources and environment from the University of Michigan, and an MBA from the Ross School of Business. He is co-author of, Hybrid Organizations: New Business Models for Environmental Leadership.
Gail Barnes, Ph.D., M.B.L.
Vice President, Technology and Packaging
Dr. Gail Barnes is a multilingual business development and strategic marketing professional with 18 years of international dairy industry experience. With background and knowledge in processing innovation, packaging technologies, consumer brand development and retail trends, Barnes provides sustainability expertise internally and directly with processors, manufacturers and transporters.
Previously, Barnes worked with Tetra Pak Group, where she was responsible for business development at Tetra Pak Chilled Carton Systems, and for nine years prior worked at Tetra Pak’s corporate headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland, holding positions in environmental affairs, communication and strategic business development.
South African born and educated, Barnes has a Master of Science in Biology and a Ph.D. in Applied Chemistry (Food Science Division) from the University of Natal and a Master of Business Leadership from the School of Business Leadership at the University of South Africa.
Jerry Bingold
Director, Renewable Energy
Jerry Bingold directs projects supporting the Innovation Center’s goal of 1,300 anaerobic digesters operating in the U.S. dairy industry by 2020. Bingold manages and supports programs for key dairy industry stakeholders, and analyzes and communicates information relating to digesters.
His background includes developing digester solutions and renewable energy projects for major energy buyers, as well as experience in renewable energy, energy efficiency and power contracts with rural electric cooperatives, investor-owned utilities and large commercial and agricultural companies.
Most recently, Bingold served as principal of commercial and industrial business development for the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association. Previously, Bingold worked with Chevron Energy Services, Dynegy, Illinova Energy Solutions (Illinois Power) and Portland General Electric. He earned his bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of Oregon and received the top U.S. Department of Energy national award for energy efficiency and the environment.
Allen Dusault
Director, Farm Smart
As director of the Farm Smart project, Allen Dusault oversees the development of a robust, real-time, on-field decision support resource for dairy and crop production management. When completed, the resource will provide data to dairy and crop producers that can inform decisions to improve a farm’s bottom line and environmental impact.
Dusault has more than 20 years of experience in water quality, waste management, transportation, agriculture and energy generation that spans the public, private and non-profit sectors. Before joining the Innovation Center, Dusault worked for Sustainable Conservation, San Francisco, where he managed the Sustainable Agriculture program, overseeing the implementation of several projects including a renewable fuels initiative.
Dusault holds a bachelor’s degree in soil science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, a master’s degree in resource management from the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada, and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Redlands in California.
Robert Madeja
Business Analyst
Robert Madeja is a business analyst for the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy, responsible for internal operations for the sustainability team. Madeja also serves as project manager of the Farm Energy Efficiency project, an effort to achieve 7,200 on-farm energy audits by 2020. In this role, he works with and through industry organizations to connect dairy farmers to informational and financial resources to improve farm energy efficiency.
Previously an intern for the Innovation Center sustainability team, Madeja worked on the Dairy Power project to develop and evaluate business models for anaerobic digesters, and communicate key benefits to industry stakeholders. Prior to joining the Innovation Center, Madeja served as an auditor intern at the National Futures Association, where he developed an understanding of agriculture supply and demand.
Originally from Naperville, Ill., Madeja attended Loyola University Chicago, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration.
Laura Mandell
Vice President, Sustainability Communications
As director of communications for the U.S. Dairy Sustainability Commitment, Laura Mandell works closely with all industry stakeholders, including farmers, processors, manufacturers, brands, academics, government and nongovernmental organizations. She focuses on increasing awareness of industrywide efforts that demonstrate how sustainability can deliver economic, environmental and social benefits for the entire dairy industry, from farm to table.
Mandell has more than 25 years of experience in business-to-business and business-to-consumer organizations, including the human resources, financial services, telecommunications and consumer goods industries. Prior to joining DMI in 2008, she led global and cross-functional brand strategy teams, and marketing communications and creative services teams at Hewitt Associates, The Quaker Oats Company and Citicorp Diners Club.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in communications from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.
Juan M. Tricarico, Ph.D.
Director, Cow of the Future
Juan Tricarico, Ph.D, directs the Cow of the Future project, which aims to create value for dairy farmers by decreasing enteric emissions. Tricarico serves as a key industry resource to compile, analyze and disseminate current and emerging practices related to genetics, nutrition and health of dairy cows.
Prior to joining the Innovation Center, Tricarico was research manager for ruminant nutrition Alltech Inc. During his career, he presented more than 40 abstracts, and published 15 peer-reviewed articles.
Tricarico holds a licenciature in biological sciences with a minor in molecular biology from Buenos Aires’ Universidad C.A.E.C.E., and a Ph.D. in animal sciences from the University of Kentucky, where he serves as an adjunct professor in the Department of Animal and Food Sciences.
Sandra Vijn
Director, Sustainability Metrics & Evaluation
Sandra Vijn leads the process of developing a sustainability framework, which will support the entire dairy supply chain in measuring and reporting sustainability. She is an active participant in The Sustainability Consortium and Field to Market, the Keystone Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture. In addition, Vijn serves as a freelance Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Trainer for ISOS Group, a sustainability consultancy firm.
Prior to joining the Innovation Center, Vijn worked in Dubai for the Centre for Responsible Business, developing sustainability reporting and assessment tools for members of the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Her sustainability career began at the GRI in Amsterdam, working with companies, nonprofits and other stakeholders on sustainability reporting and developing GRI Sustainability Reporting Guidelines (G3).
Vijn holds a bachelor’s degree in food and business, and a master’s degree in international relations from the University of Amsterdam.
Dr. Ying Wang
Director, Sustainability Research
Dr. Ying Wang oversees the development of life cycle assessments (LCAs) for dairy products and packaging, and also works with international dairy organizations to establish uniform standards for dairy LCAs.
Wang has more than 10 years of research experience in the area of life cycle assessment, eco-design and eco-materials. She worked most recently for Kraft Foods, where she was responsible for developing integrated tools for LCAs in the global supply chain.
Wang holds a bachelor of science degree in Analytical Chemistry from Lanzhou University, a master of science degree in Physical Chemistry from Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou Institute of Chemistry & Physics, a Ph.D. in Polymer Chemistry and Physics from Zhongshan University, and a master of science degree in Environmental, Health and Safety Management from the Rochester Institute of Technology.