Sarah Schmidt is vice president of marketing for Associated Milk Producers Inc. (AMPI),
a dairy cooperative headquartered in New Ulm, Minn. In this role, she shares AMPI’s story with a variety of audiences to help grow revenue and foster relationships, and identify and develop new opportunities. She leads the cooperative’s marketing, communications, government relations, and stewardship and sustainability efforts.
Schmidt graduated with summa cum laude honors from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities with an animal science degree. She is a past recipient of the Cooperative Communicators Association's Michael Graznak Award and three-time recipient of the National Milk Producers Federation Outstanding Achievement in Communications Award. Schmidt was honored by the University of Minnesota’s Gopher Dairy Club with the Golden Graduate Award and completed the International Dairy Foods Association NextGen Leadership Program. She currently serves on the National Dairy Shrine Board of Directors.
Schmidt and her husband, Kelly, live on a farm near New Ulm where they are raising three daughters. The family enjoys raising and showing beef and dairy heifers, and hogs. They are active in 4-H, FFA and junior livestock associations.
AMPI is owned by dairy farm families from Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota and North Dakota. The cooperative’s award-winning cheese, butter and powdered dairy products are marketed to foodservice, retail and food ingredient customers. The co-op launched its Dinner Bell Creamery® brand and accompanying Co-op Crafted® promise in 2019, highlighting more than 50 years of dairy farm families partnering with skilled dairy craftsmen to make great-tasting, award-winning products.
