Bonnie Burr, Brookfield Center, Conn., is the 2006 Young Dairy Leaders Institute Distinguished Alumni Leader.

BRATTLEBORO, Vt., November 27, 2006–Bonnie Burr, Brookfield Center, Conn., has been named the 2006 Young Dairy Leaders Institute (YDLI) Distinguished Alumni Leader by the Holstein Foundation Board of Trustees. The award is presented annually to honor YDLI alumni leadership and contributions to the dairy industry. Jerry Jennissen, Brooten, Minn., was also a finalist for the award.

Employed as Director of Government Relations for the Connecticut Farm Bureau, Burr works with a variety of agencies and contacts at the local, state and national levels. In her position with the Connecticut Farm Bureau, Burr advocates, lobbies and develops support for policy and initiatives in government. Through the Farm Bureau and its coalitions, Burr helped obtain significant funding for farm viability and diversification, farm-friendly municipal planning, and farmland preservation. Connecticut Farm Bureau also worked with the governor to give Connecticut dairy farmers an additional $1.08/cwt January through June 2006, and obtained $500,000 for specific projects at UConn’s College of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

An alumna of Class 1, Burr credits YDLI with providing invaluable assistance in improving her communication skills. “I learned how to talk with a group, not at them, and how really good speakers appreciate the time they have been given to convey a message,” said Burr. “When I get in front of a group, I do whatever I can to engage the audience and I owe that to what I learned at YDLI.”

Along with her family, Burr helps to increase awareness among those unfamiliar with agriculture by leasing animals to local youth. She has spoken to a variety of local and national groups in the past year, reaching over 500 people. Burr has been extensively involved with such industry organizations as the National Dairy Shrine, Holstein Association USA, New England and Connecticut Holstein Associations, and the Connecticut Agriculture Day at the Capitol Committee. Burr also served on committees for Eastern States Exposition, Working Lands Alliance, University of Connecticut Cooperative Extension Partners, and the CT International 4-H Youth Exchange Committee. In 2002, Burr was the American Farm Bureau Federation McCloy Fellow to EU/Germany.

“By getting appointed to regional and national committees, YDLI alumni are paving the way and helping chart the course. We all have two things in common: belief in the dairy industry and stronger leadership kills gained through the support and generosity of the Holstein Foundation,” said Burr.

Jerry Jennissen was also a graduate of YDLI Class 1. Along with his wife Linda, Jerry manages 140 registered cows and 125 heifers, a small orchard and a herd of American Lowlines beef cattle. In 1997, Jennissen worked with a local newspaper to launch Dairy Star. Originally planned to be a county dairy newsletter, the publication now reaches all of Minnesota, eastern South Dakota, and northern Iowa with a circulation of over 10,000 copies.

The Holstein Foundation is a nonprofit organization, supported by generous individual and corporate donors. Through its premier leadership programs, the Holstein Foundation is growing the future of the dairy industry.