Maryland & Virginia Milk Producers CEO to retire

Jay Bryant, CEO of Herndon-based Maryland & Virginia Milk Producers Cooperative Association (MDVA), is retiring at the end of this year, and Jon Cowell, MDVA’s current chief financial officer, will succeed him, the cooperative announced Friday.

Bryant has worked at the MDVA, a cooperative of more than 900 dairy farm families in 10 states, for 37 years, the last 22 as CEO. Under Bryant, MDVA’s sales revenues have doubled and gross profits have increased by 150%, according to a news release. During his tenure, MDVA purchased three additional consumer products plants and earned more than $77 million from on-farm sustainability initiatives.

“It is humbling to look back to where MDVA was 20 years ago and see what we have achieved together by investing in our cooperative,” Bryant said in a statement.

A native of Boonville, North Carolina, Bryan grew up on his family’s dairy farm. After earning an agricultural economics degree at North Carolina State University, he worked as a representative for Carolina Virginia Milk Producers, which merged with MDVA in 1999. Prior to becoming CEO, Bryant served as MDVA’s director of milk marketing.

“The board of directors extends its deep gratitude to Jay Bryant for guiding us through transformative change and uncertain times like dairy industry consolidation and the pandemic,” Kevin Satterwhite, president of MDVA’s board of directors, said in a statement. “There’s no doubt he will carry a legacy as a transformative figure in the dairy cooperative landscape.”

Serving as MDVA’s CFO sine 2018, Cowell currently leads all financial aspects of MDVA as well as its information technology division. In this role, Cowell renegotiated banking agreements and launched a new payroll system for both MDVA’s dairy farm owners and employees.

A native of Canada, Cowell previously spent 22 years as an executive at Massachusetts-based Ocean Spray Cranberries. He has a degree in chartered accountancy from the University of Waterloo.

According to a news release, Cowell’s plans include gaining more market share for Maola, the milk and dairy products brand MDVA purchased in 2003, and developing new dairy products.

“Jon brings the vision and leadership necessary to lead MDVA forward into its next phase of growth and success,” said Satterwhite.

The cooperative owns six dairy processing plants that process more than 3 billion pounds of milk annually.