DBIC Team

Janet Ady
Market Strategist & Client Product Research
Janet is President of Madison-based Voltedge, Inc., a market research, branding, marketing and communications firm. She assists the DBIC team with market research and analyses on branding, labeling, packaging, and product characteristics, and helps develop educational content on marketing topics such as how to market artisanal and specialty dairy products, trends in key labeling terms, and more.

Jean Andreasen
Client Manager
A native of the Twin Cities metropolitan area, Jean graduated from Gustavus Adolphus College in Saint Peter, Minn., with a BA in Fine Arts. She most recently served as the general manager of PastureLand, a small grass-based dairy cooperative in southeast Minnesota, and worked with the co-op’s member-owners to develop all aspects of their business including marketing, sales, distribution, milk pick-up and production schedules, R&D, and contract negotiations. Prior to PastureLand, Jean served as Midwest Marketing Coordinator for Food Alliance, and as Director of Member Services and Outreach for Mississippi Market Natural Foods Cooperative in Saint Paul, Minn.

Kate Arding
Farmhouse Cheese & Cheese Store Specialist
Kate is an independent dairy consultant specializing in small-scale cheese production. She is also a co-founder of culture, the acclaimed first national consumer cheese magazine launched in December 2008. A native of Britain, Kate has worked in the farmhouse cheese industry for 18 years, first as wholesale manager for Neal’s Yard Dairy in London, where she developed extensive knowledge – and love – of the farmhouse cheese industry. In 1997, she moved to California to help establish Cowgirl Creamery and Tomales Bay Foods, a business modeled after Neals Yard Dairy but focusing on American artisanal cheeses. Since 2003, Kate has worked as an independent consultant focusing on affinage, sales and marketing, and helping small-scale cheesemakers adapt to changing market demands. She lives in rural New York.

Abby Bachhuber
Client  Manager & Project Specialist
Abby was raised in Madison, Wis., and is a graduate from UW Madison.   Having spent her life enjoying the fruits of Wisconsin’s great agricultural tradition, Abby is deeply committed to promoting local foods.  Abby’s career centers on local agriculture through her work for DBIC as well as independent consulting for other Wisconsin farm businesses.  Her work experiences include: working on organic and alternative method farms, coordinating a subsidy program for Community Supported Agriculture food shares, agricultural marketing consulting for the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, and client management and project consulting with the DBIC.

Kathy Brown
DBIC Administrator
A rural native of central Illinois, Kathy worked 19 years for the Illinois Department of Agriculture in the domestic and international marketing arenas, promoting food and agribusiness products. After moving to Wisconsin, she continued to work in the marketing field before forming her own company in 2002, Planning Options, which offers administrative support to non-profit organizations and trade associations.

Jeanne Carpenter
Communications Director
Jeanne Carpenter is a cheese geek, but she didn’t start out that way. Raised on Velveeta on a family farm in Wisconsin, after college she worked several years as a city-government reporter for newspapers in Wisconsin and Idaho, then as corporate project manager at Epic Systems Corporation in Verona, Wis., and finally as a communications specialist for the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture. In 2007, she started her own public relations company to promote slow food and specialty cheese.  She has served as the communications director for the DBIC since its launch in 2004 and provides public relations expertise to clients.

Daniel J. Carter
Founder and Chairman, Marketing, Client Manager & Relocation Specialist
A native of Peshtigo, Wis., Dan earned degrees from UW-Madison and Georgetown University, Washington, D.C. In 1965, following ten years of sales and marketing experience in Washington and New York, he became National Sales Director for Purity Cheese Company, Mayville, Wis., and created national distribution of specialty cheese under the "International Cheese Center" marketing logo. In 1975, with his wife, Jane, he co-founded Dan Carter, Inc., a consulting and sales company positioned to promote the small to medium sized cheese factory and served as corporate CEO until retiring in 2003. During his career, he has served on the UW College of Agriculture Board of Visitors, the Specialty Food Trade/Fancy Food Show Board of Directors, the Wisconsin Gift Shippers Association Board, and the International Dairy Deli Bakery Association Board of Directors, where he served one year as President. He is the recipient of several dairy industry awards, including "Life Member" of the Wisconsin Cheesemakers Association, the International Dairy Deli Bakery’s "President’s Award", "Annual Lifetime Achievement Award" from the American Cheese Society, the UW-Madison "Award of Distinction" and a "Commendation Award" in 2007 from Wisconsin Governor James Doyle.

Jane Royer Carter
Client & Business Services
Jane was raised and has lived her life in the dairy industry. Her family’s Purity Cheese Company, Mayville, Wisconsin, produced consumer sized Gouda, Edam, and other specialties under the MayBud brand which is now part of Kraft Specialty Foods. Jane was summer vacation replacement for office staff involved in all facets of the industry from farm patron to sales.  In 1975 she joined her husband as co-founder of Dan Carter, Inc., and served as operations manager until her retirement in 1998. Jane is available to DBIC Clients for organizational planning, initiative coordination and as a source for dairy industry information.

Gigi Cazaux
Research Specialist
Gigi is a native of France and is a graduate student in agriculture and marketing.  As a French woman, she has a culture for cheese ingrained in h her very being: she takes delight in having a bite of cheese followed by a sip of wine and enjoys the gastronomic and sensory pleasure of such combination.  After working in marketing cheese in France and Wales, she decided to expand her ‘cheese horizons’.  In 2009 she chose to relocate to Wisconsin, where she joined the DBIC team as an intern. Today, she is conducts research for the DBIC team on a variety of topics.

Jim Cisler
Dairy Farm Development & Relocation Specialist
A native of a family dairy farm in northeast Wisconsin, Jim earned his B.S. degree in Dairy Science from UW-Madison. He started his career in production management with Foremost Dairy Cooperative, moving on to plant management for Kerry Ingredients. Before joining the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection as a Dairy Value Chain Consultant, Jim worked in operations management for Land O’Lakes Dairy Cooperative. He works on all aspects of the supply chain from the farmer to consumer.

Case Dorresteyn
Plant Siting and Dairy Consultant
Case Dorresteyn was born and educated in the Netherlands. Before founding New Horizons Agriculture, an agricultural consultancy company offering a wide range of consultancy services, but specializing in relocation assistance to farmers,  he was employed by various organizations for 25 years. He spent most of those years in dairy related jobs in the United States, South America and Africa. As International Marketing Manager of an American milking machine manufacturer he got involved with dairy projects of all sizes in Europe, the Middle East and Australia. He assists the DBIC with relocation ventures

Paul Dietmann
Value-Added Agriculture Specialist
As the Director for the Wisconsin Farm Center at the Department of Agriculture, Paul leads a core team in providing services to Wisconsin farmers and agribusinesses to promote the vitality of the state’s agricultural economy and rural communities. Prior to joining DATCP, Paul served as the Sauk County Agricultural Agent for the University of Wisconsin Extension program. He earned his master’s degree in Continuing and Vocational Education from UW-Madison, and an undergraduate Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Economics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He offers clients expertise in value-added production and marketing systems and farm financial management.

Maggie Fitzsimmons
Client & Project Specialist
Maggie is a graduate of UW-Madison, where she completed a B.A. in Geography with a concentration in human-environment interaction. She also earned a Certificate in Environmental Studies.  Maggie was raised in Albany, Wis., surrounded by rolling hills and dairy farms. She has always been passionate about supporting farmers and families in Wisconsin. Her past work experiences include co-managing Troy Community Farm, an organic, community-supported vegetable farm in Madison, Wis., and coordinating the family services program at Habitat for Humanity of Dane County. She manages a variety of client programs and projects for the DBIC.

James Gage
Grant Writer & Business Strategy
Jim is a management consultant with specialties in grant writing, business development, marketing, and spatial technology.  His worldwide experience includes agricultural and natural resource-based projects and research studies in Russia, Jamaica, and 20 countries in Africa.  Holding a MS in horticulture from the University of Maryland, Jim has over 75 technical publications in both agriculture and technology journals.  His grant writing has resulted in awards from USDA, NASA, World Bank, Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, and the US Agency for International Development, among others.

Laurie Greenberg
Client Services, Research & Training
Laurie’s background includes 25 years working with small businesses and non-governmental organizations in small-scale agriculture, economic development and natural resource management in the Upper Midwest and in 13 Latin American nations. She works in business development for both small-scale producers and non-profit organizations. Laurie develops communications and media pieces for both marketing and training. Currently her international work includes developing tools for analyzing the sustainability of small-scale dairy systems in Wisconsin and central Mexico. Laurie is on the board of directors of the American Cheese Society and lectures about the Wisconsin specialty cheese industry as a member of the speakers’ bureau of the Wisconsin Humanities Council.

Kelton Greenway
Production Specialist & Client Manager
Raised at his family’s business, Summit Cheese Factory in St. Croix County, Wis., Kelton has more than 25 years experience in managing dairy plants, including the Wisconsin Dairies/Foremost Farms plant from 1992 – 2007. He has extensive experience in American and Italian cheese production, as well as all aspects of operating a cheese plant. He is also a licensed cheese grader and certified wastewater operator. Kelton offers technical expertise to clients in dairy manufacturing processes and documentation systems.

Penny Lindstrom
Strategic Marketing
With more than 25 years experience in strategic marketing, media relations, and business development, Penny provides clients with the marketing tools they need to grow their businesses.  She earned her B.A. in Communications from Boston College and her Stateline Farm Beginnings certificate from Angelic Organics Farm Learning Center.  She offers clients expertise in all areas of product marketing from concept to consumer.

Neville McNaughton
Technical Analysis
A native of New Zealand, Neville manufactured specialty cheeses for 13 years. He joined the New Zealand Dairy Board and traveled to the U.S., spending nine years as technical support manager for cheese sales. He moved to the enzyme and culture technology industries and today consults with cheese manufacturers around the world on quality cheese production. Neville is president of CheezSorce, based in St. Louis, Missouri and offers expertise in the following areas: plant design and process efficiency, business siting, equipment utilization, product options and development, expansion planning and options, and process optimization strategies.

Jeanne Meier
DBIC Dairy Goat Specialist
Jeanne brings a stellar and varied skill set to the DBIC. With a bachelor’s degree in Education and a law degree from UW-Madison, she boasts a varied career that has including teaching, farming and practicing law. She served five years in the Peace Corps in Columbia and Ecuador and is fluent in Spanish. She also spent many years as the Director of the Farm Center at the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, leading a team to provide services to Wisconsin farmers and agribusinesses. Currently, Jeanne serves on the DBIC Management Team and coordinates the DBIC Dairy Goat Project.

Claire Mikolayunas
DBIC Dairy Sheep Specialist
A New England native, Claire completed her undergraduate education at Cornell University. After working on sheep and dairy cow farms in Northern Ireland and Maine, she managed a small flock of dairy ewes in a portable milking parlor. In 2004, she moved to Wisconsin to pursue a Ph.D. in dairy sheep nutrition at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She has served as President of the Dairy Sheep Association of North America, organizing the Great Lakes Dairy Sheep Symposium. She will provide technical and business development assistance to increase dairy sheep production in Wisconsin.

Norm Monsen
DBIC Manager & Client Manager
In addition to farming near Stoughton, Wisconsin, Norm coordinates the Wisconsin Dairy Artisan Network at the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection. He assists Wisconsin farmers and small dairy product processors in adding value to their milk through production and marketing of specialty dairy products. Norm also works to partner with a host of agencies in providing a network of assistance to dairy farmers. Prior to joining the department in 1998, he served as a Farm Center volunteer, providing direct consultation and advice for farmers in crisis. He is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and is a Leadership Wisconsin fellow.

Andrea Neu
Client Services & Brand Positioning Consultant
Andrea has worked with Wisconsin dairy industry cheesemakers/marketers, farmstead and artisan dairy product makers to assist with their brand development programs during the past 6 years—both as a DBIC and private consultant.  She specializes in packaging, labeling, and marketing materials development and manages a group of freelance designers which has resulted in brand development work for over 50 DBIC clients. She offers more than 35 years of experience in Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC), focusing her expertise within the food industry.  Andrea served as Senior Vice President of Corporate Communications and Vice President of Marketing Services for the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board (WMMB).  In 2001 she launched Image Maker, a marketing and corporate communications consulting practice dedicated to business and product brand positioning.  She has served on the International Dairy-Deli-Bakery Association board (IDDBA), the Wisconsin 4-H Foundation board, as well as several other Wisconsin business boards.

Carl Rainey, DATCP
Business Plan Development
Carl’s educational experience includes an AA in Missile Maintenance Technology, BA in Business, MA in Education, and an MBA. As an Economic Development Consultant for the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, he provides one-on-one counseling to Wisconsin value added agricultural producers. This counseling includes: start-up issues, research methods, sources of financing, business plan development, marketing strategy development, resolving personnel issues, and financial analysis. His work history includes a wide variety of management positions in production and services, marketing representative for brokers nationwide, and a business consultant for more than six years. Carl has also taught small business finance and management at the college level.

Rich Scheuerman
Strategy, Marketing Services & Client Manager
A seasoned executive with 30 years of management experience, Rich served as President and CEO of Alto Dairy Cooperative until its sale to Saputo in 2008. Alto Dairy was one of DBIC’s first clients and Rich says he experienced first-hand the value of the range of services the DBIC provides in assisting Wisconsin’s growing dairy industry. Prior to joining Alto, he worked as the Chief Financial Officer for Raskas Foods, a St. Louis-based cream cheese manufacturer. He began his career in various financial and planning positions with Anheuser-Busch Companies, Inc. Rich earned his MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and a math degree from Lafayette College. He currently teaches finance to MBAs and Statistics to undergraduates at a local college. He assists clients in the areas of strategic planning, financial planning and analysis, operational assessments, risk management, turnaround consulting and general management.

Lowell Thronson
Business Specialist & Client Manager
Raised on a dairy farm in Blue Mounds, Wis., Lowell earned his accounting degree and MBA at UW-Madison. He offers 18 years of professional experience in management, financial planning and analysis, business planning and development.  Lowell has a unique experience set with both large corporate and small businesses and has held finance positions with the Kohler Company, Kerry Food Ingredients and most recently, Covance. In addition to corporate experience, Lowell managed and later owned his family’s restaurant, Betsy’s Kitchen, in Barneveld, Wis. He assists clients in the areas of financial planning and analysis, evaluating capital investments and business valuation, business planning and general management.