FORT ATKINSON, WI (May 18, 2026) — Winners have been selected for the Emerging Dairy Leader award, a new category of annual recognition from the National Dairy Shrine. These individuals are dairy industry professionals, 40 years old or younger, who have demonstrated exemplary leadership qualities and accomplishments within the dairy industry and their local community, state or region.

“Part of the National Dairy Shrine mission is to inspire young people to do great things in their careers,” says Mike Opperman, Dairy Shrine Executive Director. “With the new Emerging Leader award, we recognize those people who have made significant contributions early in their careers. While it’s important to recognize these accomplishments, we also hope it can inspire other young people to set goals and accomplish great things as they embark on their dairy industry careers.”

This year’s honorees are Bo Harstine, Allison Ryan, Lucas Sjostrom and Emily Yeiser Stepp.

Bo Harstine is the Vice President, Technical Initiatives & Innovation for Select Sires, Inc. His career has been shaped by scientific curiosity, a strong work ethic, and a lifelong connection to agriculture. He has been a leader in important endeavors that have strengthened innovation management and strategic alignment within Select Sires, Inc. This leadership has made an impact far beyond, advancing collaboration, learning and innovation throughout the field.

In addition to his primary professional responsibilities, Harstine has made substantial contributions to his community and the broader scientific and agricultural fields. One of many examples is his work in educational advancement through the Ohio Department of Education Agriculture and Environmental Systems Business and Industry Advisory Committee. His input helps guide curriculum development and ensures that agricultural education remains aligned with modern industry needs.

Allison Ryan is the Director of Marketing and Communications for MVP Dairy, LLC. She was raised on a dairy farm, and her career path reflects a lifelong commitment to dairy and a clear progression toward industry leadership. As the driving force behind the development and launch of two state-of-the-art dairy education facilities, Ryan has strengthened public trust in dairy, elevated the voice of progressive dairy producers, and crated scalable models for agricultural education that continue to influence how the industry connects with consumers.

Ryan is extensively involved in her community through her local visitor’s center, Mercer County Farm Bureau and the Mercer County Fairgrounds. Through these roles, she exemplifies civic-minded leadership, ensuring agriculture remains deeply connected to the economic, cultural, and social vitality of her community.

Lucas Sjostrom is an account manager at Specialty Herd Solutions, but he has covered a tremendous amount of ground in his young dairy career. By the age of 39, Sjostrom has been involved in trade missions with Russian investors, several prestigious industry publications, Federal Milk Marketing Order hearings, the Midwest Dairy organization, Minnesota Milk and more. His career’s work has bridged the gap between on-farm production and high-level industry advocacy.

One of his primary achievements has been the successful diversification and expansion of Redhead Creamery, where he currently resides as Head Distiller. Here, Sjostrom’s leadership ensured the long-term sustainability of his own family farm, while also modeling practices and strategies for value-added dairy and agriculture nation-wide. Through all his work and experiences, Sjostrom has made significant impacts not only in production, but also processing and policy.

Emily Yeiser Stepp is the Senior Director of Industry Affairs for Fairlife LLC. She is a positive, energetic representative of the dairy industry who promotes and maintains high standards. Notable achievements throughout her career include helping establish the Center for Dairy Excellence Foundation, training over 400 evaluators through the National Dairy FARM program and managing an on-farm social responsibility program that encompassed 99% of fluid milk supply, over 150 dairy cooperatives and processors, and more than 26,000 farms.

With her background and policy experiences, Yeiser Stepp has proven her ability to address a wide variety of audiences. She is adept at strategic planning, consumer relations, consensus building, reputation and crisis management.

Harstine, Ryan, Sjostrom and Yeiser Stepp will be formally recognized at the National Dairy Shrine Awards Banquet on Monday, September 28, 2026, in Madison, Wisconsin. Their portraits will be added to the National Dairy Shrine Dairy Hall of Fame and Museum in Fort Atkinson.