LEADERSHIP

TEAM

EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP TEAM

The Foremost Farms Executive Leadership Team (ELT) brings a wealth of business experience and knowledge to the cooperative.

Brenda Dehart

President and Chief Executive Officer

Brenda Dehart, a native of rural Illinois with roots in dairy farming, brings decades of experience in finance and operations, having served as CFO at Edlong and held leadership roles at Sensient Technologies and Kerry Inc. Since joining the cooperative in February 2024, Brenda has played a pivotal role in stabilizing the business, enhancing financial transparency and fostering stronger cross-functional collaboration across the cooperative. Her leadership has already delivered measurable value to member farms, and she continues to drive long-term growth with a focus on member success. Brenda holds an MBA from the University of Phoenix and a bachelor’s degree in finance from Concordia University Wisconsin, and she currently serves on the Board of Directors of Female Strong Chicago.

Darin Hanson

SVP, Milk Division & Risk Management

Declan Roche

SVP & Chief Commercial Officer

Keith Bone

SVP of Operations

Kari Paterson

VP of Human Resources

BOARD

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

The Foremost Farms Board of Directors (BOD) are member-owners who are elected by and represent other members. They focus on what’s best for all the members and the cooperative.

Joel Eigenbrood

Chairman of the Board

Joel Eigenbrood, a resident of Mount Pleasant, Michigan, has worked in dairy farm accounting and advisory services for more than 20 years, currently (since 2016) as the on-farm, full-time CFO at Mibelloon Dairy, LLC, Wheeler Dairy, LLC, Van Loon Farms, LLC, Redstone Dairy, LLC and Marloo Equipment. He was elected as the Foremost Farms Chairman in 2024, and he previously served as the cooperative’s First Vice Chair. Joel also serves as a board member for the United Dairy Industry of Michigan.