The national dairy checkoff is in a partnership with Yum! Brands (the parent company of KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell) to grow U.S. dairy sales in Asia Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean. The partnership focuses on pilot programs with Kentucky Fried Chicken and Pizza Hut to develop cheese sauces, according to Dairy Management Inc., which manages the checkoff.

Wisconsin cheesemaker Andy Hatch of Uplands Cheese was named one of Martha Stewart’s 2016 American Makers, a program designed to discover the next generation of American artisans. 

John Farmer of Dairy Farmers of America is the Chairman-Elect of The National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Association. Kristina Cole of WhiteWave Foods, is Vice Chairman-Refrigerated. Newly elected members of the NFRA board of directors include Marcelle Smalley of Kemps and Joe Tuza of T. Marzetti Co. Tim Heil, Schwan’s Consumer Brands; Mark Meyer, Wells Enterprises; Dan Nolan, Stremick’s Heritage Foods; Paul Peterson, Lactalis American Group; and Trenton Potts, Daisy Brand, were among those from the dairy processing industry elected for a second term on the board.

Sargento Foods Inc. Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer George Hoff will retire at the end of the year. Jeremy Behler was promoted to fill the role. Hoff joined Sargento as Controller in 1983. Since then, he has served in various financial roles at Sargento, most recently as Chief Financial Officer and as President of the Consumer Products Division from 1997 to 2000.

The National Dairy Promotion and Research Board honored dairy farmers Steve Frischknecht from Manti, Utah, and Donald Gurtner from Fremont, Ind., with the Richard E. Lyng Award for their contributions and distinguished service to dairy promotion.