The American Dairy Products Institute (ADPI), Elmhurst, Ill., announced the addition of three subject-matter experts to its Center of Excellence (COE) resource group for members. The additions include Terry Lensmire, Tom Suber and MaryAnne Drake, Ph.D.

“ADPI is excited to offer our members access to these individuals who are widely recognized in the industry and easily acknowledged as subject-matter experts,” said Blake Anderson, president and CEO, ADPI. “All three of these individuals have been engaged with ADPI and many of our members during their careers, and we feel their addition to the program will complement the existing panel of experts, providing ADPI members with a wide range of experts on various topics."

Lensmire, a Master Cheesemaker, recently retired from Agropur Inc. He has been honored as a Cheesemaker Champion within the Wisconsin Cheesemaker’s Contest and is also a renowned judge of the contest, ADPI said. Lensmire has consulted and worked with the Center for Dairy Research at the University of Wisconsin – Madison and is the principal of Lensmire Dairy Consulting.

Suber, retired past president of the U.S. Dairy Export Council and now principal of Suber Global LLC, a Strategic Trade Consulting firm, has years of experience in global market access and development, export, market strategy development and global trade, ADPI said. In 2017, he received the ADPI Award of Merit for his lifetime contributions to the dairy products industry.

Drake leads the Southeast Dairy Foods Research Center (SDFRC) at North Carolina State University, and is recognized as one of the leading dairy sensory and flavor science experts internationally and in the United States. She and the SDFRC team work closely with the dairy ingredients industry through their ongoing relationship with Dairy Management Inc. and the Dairy Research Council, ADPI said. Drake has been a frequent instructor in ADPI’s dairy ingredient training courses and is often engaged with ADPI seminars and forums.

ADPI’s COE is a unique benefit of membership, and the non-staff subject-matter experts are contracted on an annual basis. COE professionals operate under confidentially agreements to ensure that any interactions with a member are protected no matter whether it's an opportunity, an issue or a service-oriented situation. If a member’s needs require more time beyond what the ADPI program covers, the non-staff COE professionals are free to arrange an independent agreement with the member if desired and agreeable by both parties, ADPI said.

The ADPI COE resource professionals are always ready to address ADPI member questions or concerns. Current COE professionals include Dustin Dean, Ph.D.; Jessie Deelo; K.J. Burrington; Michael Culhane, Ph.D.; Mike McCully; Dan Meyer; Phil Plourd; Geoffrey W. Smithers, Ph.D.; Phil Tong, Ph.D.; Dean Tjornehoj; and David Clark, Ph.D. 

ADPI members may download this “Quick Guide To The COE” to identify which COE resource would best fit their needs. ADPI said it invites all members to visit the ADPI website at www.adpi.org to learn more about its COE members and their areas of expertise.