Kima Simonson Deer Park, Washington Member National Dairy Promotion and Research Board

What education are you bringing with you to this position?
My best education has occurred from living and working on our farm (Simonson Dairy) every day and then being involved with various organizations and learning from a lot of great people and leaders. I earned an associate of arts degree and have a background in accounting.

Please describe your agricultural background.
I married a dairy farmer 31 years ago! I grew up on a hobby farm and was involved with 4-H as a kid, working with swine, sheep and horses. I eventually served as a 4-H leader and have been involved with a lot of different boards and agricultural organizations through the years.

What are your new responsibilities as a board appointee?
The first thing I want to do is listen and learn so I can understand more about the various responsibilities that come with this board position. I have a responsibility to give the producers of Washington state a strong voice and representation on a national stage.

I look forward to working with producers from all across the country. We all have to work together and make sure we’re being good stewards of the checkoff investment.

What previous experience/roles led to this appointment?
I was previously appointed by the USDA to serve on the Washington State Farm Service Agency that works to support the needs and interests of all farmers. I also have spent a lot of years promoting the dairy industry through my checkoff background.

I have served on the United Dairy Industry Association (UDIA) board and have been a member of the Washington Dairy Products Board for 18 years, serving as its chair and vice-chair three times.

I’ve also been a member of the Washington State Dairy Women for more than 25 years, the Washington State Dairy Federation and have served on the Darigold co-op board.

What excites you most about working in your new role?
I enjoy seeing the progress we’re making as an industry by working together. The work we’re doing in consumer confidence and through the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy’s Sustainability Council, which I recently joined, is very important and promising.

We need consumers to maintain their trust in what we do on our farms each day so they’ll continue buying our products. That’s not just important here in the U.S. but abroad since more of our products are heading into international markets. Consumers everywhere need to know that we care for our animals and the land and that our products are made with a lot of integrity.

Why did you choose to accept this appointment?
I was encouraged by some producers to consider it but I have always felt that if you’re going to be a part of promoting the industry, you need to get involved as much as you can. I accepted it because I am passionate about the dairy industry and I enjoy being involved with many others in the industry to help promote the things we’re doing as producers.

What goals would you like to accomplish while in this role?
I would like to see us keep promoting our strong nutrition message. We produce a very healthy food and consumers need to understand a glass of milk has unparalleled nutritional benefits.

I’d also like to see more consumers understand that we do things responsibly on our farms and that farming is our lifestyle and something we are very proud to do each day. PD