2025-2026 New York State Dairy Ambassadors Reflect on Year of Service to Dairy Industry
January 6, 2026 | 5 min to read
County Dairy Ambassadors Encouraged to Compete for New State Team
SYRACUSE, N.Y. – The 2025-2026 New York State Dairy Ambassador Olivia Shawley, First Associate Dairy Ambassador Addison Brown and Second Associate Dairy Ambassador Serenity Conklin share their experiences as they prepare to finish their year representing the state’s nearly 3,000 dairy farmers.
American Dairy Association North East manages the New York Dairy Ambassador program, a grassroots effort created to help build consumer trust and sales in dairy while also serving as a youth development program to establish life-long dairy advocates.
“These young women are doing a phenomenal job representing the state’s dairy farmers at consumer-facing events and through social and traditional media,” said ADA North East Director of Consumer Confidence Beth Meyer. “It’s been rewarding to watch them develop their personal and professional skills during the past year and we encourage this year’s promoters to take advantage of this opportunity.”
The state promoters participated in a Q&A session with ADA North East to reflect on their experiences since being selected for their roles in February 2025, and to encourage county ambassadors to participate at the state level.
What has this experience provided you?
Shawley: This program brings so many opportunities, and I have experienced so much personal growth through this journey.
Brown: Not only are you on a team of like-minded girls, but the people you meet during the year help you develop your place in the dairy industry.
Conklin: Being a dairy ambassador helps build your own leadership skills while opening new doors and connections.
How did you manage the time commitment?
Shawley: It’s a very flexible position – you can do things from home to promote the industry through social media and digital technology.
Brown: You have to be ready to give your time and attention to the position, but the team at ADA North East is very considerate and understanding if you have conflicts.
Conklin: Being a dairy ambassador has taught me so much about time management and scheduling – not just with the position’s responsibilities but also with my college planning. I’ve really learned how to juggle everything at once.
What were the highlights of the year for you?
Shawley: I loved working with our team and ADA North East, and especially loved learning to work with the media. This experience has helped me realize I want to pursue a career in agricultural communications – it really lit a spark in me.
Brown: I really enjoyed the week of the New York State Fair with the media interviews and the contests and events. I especially loved the media interview I gave with my dad who manages the Milk Bar in the Dairy Products Building. Those are skills and experiences that we’ll use for the rest of our lives. Watch the interview here.
Conklin: I really like connecting with the county dairy ambassadors through programs like the Digital Deep Dive and Dairy Ambassador Training Seminar. They are our next generation of promoters. We’re able to share all that we have learned so they can start a step ahead of us because they already know what we know.
The Digital Deep Dive was a day-long program organized by ADA North East and hosted at Bonna Terra Farm, Bloomfield, N.Y., that more than 30 county promoters participated in last fall. The group honed their digital communications skills with help from dairy social media influencers, such as ADA North East board member Val Lavigne.
“I’m proud of the work ADA North East is doing to empower the next generation of dairy advocates with programs like the Digital Deep Dive to help our young leaders share dairy’s story in authentic, engaging ways,” said Lavigne. “It’s inspiring to watch these talented individuals grow and connect with their peers about the importance of dairy farming and how to share that passion with their communities and beyond.”
For additional checkoff information, contact Beth Meyer at bmeyer@milk4u.org or at 315.472.9143.
About American Dairy Association North East
American Dairy Association North East (ADA North East) is the dairy farmer-funded organization funded by participating dairy farmer’s checkoff investment to build demand and sales for milk and dairy foods throughout the local region. Representing nearly 8,000 dairy farm families in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and northern Virginia, ADA North East develops and implements local programs to drive milk and dairy sales at retail outlets and in schools. The organization also conducts consumer education about dairy through events, traditional and social media, and in collaboration with health professionals through National Dairy Council®. ADA North East works closely with Dairy Management Inc.™, the national dairy checkoff organization, to support nutrition research, national partnerships and developing export markets for dairy to bring a fully integrated promotion program to the region. For more information, visit www.AmericanDairy.com.