Member Involvement
From its beginnings in 1916, MMPA has relied on grassroots member support to lead the association. Today, MMPA fosters leadership among membership from the youth level all the way up to the board of directors. MMPA prides itself on the dedicated and involved members who own the cooperative.
Leadership Positions
Leadership at MMPA begins at the local level and builds up through to the leadership of the entire cooperative. Each MMPA member belongs to one of 31 locals housed within one of eight districts. Managing the direction of the entire cooperative is the MMPA board of directors, made up of 13 dairy farmer members.
Within the locals and districts, a variety of leadership positions are available, including: local officer, dairy communicator, district delegate, district officer, resolutions committee member, nominating committee member and advisory committee member. Each year, delegates from each district meet at the Annual Meeting.
Learn More about Annual Meetings
Young Cooperator Program
The Young Cooperator (YC) program fosters leadership among members 21-40 years of age. All YCs are invited to an annual meeting each spring and encouraged to participate in the Outstanding Young Dairy Cooperator (OYDC) program, established in 1950. The purpose of the OYDC program is to strengthen leadership abilities in young farmers, broaden young farmer’s knowledge of milk marketing and MMPA, and recognize the abilities and stewardship of young dairy farmers
Dairy Communicator Network
MMPA encourages members to reach out to their community to tell the dairy story. The dairy communicator program provides information and resources to those serving as Dairy Communicators for their local. Each spring, the Dairy Communicators gather to share ideas and learn from each other and cooperative leaders.
Youth Opportunities
The future of our dairy industry requires engaged and educated youth. To encourage youth development, MMPA is involved in youth programs and educational opportunities. Every June, MMPA welcomes a group of 4-H youth to the Novi headquarters for the MMPA 4-H Milk Marketing Tour to educate participants about milk marketing and cooperatives. In addition, MMPA supports and/or sponsors scholarships, Michigan Dairy Days, the Michigan Livestock Sale-abration, the Great Dairy Adventure and the Michigan Dairy Ambassador program.
Advocacy
MMPA is active in public affairs at the national and state level through lobbying efforts and involvement in the National Milk Producers Federation. MMPA members have the option to contribute to the Michigan Milk Political Action Committee (MMPAC) which provides bipartisan support to state and federal candidates who demonstrate a willingness to work on behalf of dairy and agricultural interests.
MMPA delegates approve policy resolutions every March to detail the opinions of members on industry and legislative issues.