Dairy Shrine’s Timeless Mission Inspires Financial Commitment
Dan Bernick grew up on a registered Holstein farm in Iowa, graduated in dairy science from Iowa State University, and spent a major portion of his career working in the dairy industry, including several years as editor of Holstein World magazine. Today, he is a public relations manager at John Deere. He lives in Long Grove, Iowa, with his wife, Karen, who also works in public relations and communications, including positions with the Associated Milk Producers Inc. (AMPI) and at an agricultural communications agency that served several dairy-related businesses.
Dan was on the Dairy Shrine board of directors from 2012 to 2019 which “completely sold” him on the relevance and importance of Dairy Shrine’s mission and fueled a desire to help financially support Dairy Shrine however possible.
In the following Q&A, Dan explains why he and his wife, Karen, have included Dairy Shrine as a beneficiary in their estate plan.
Why do you want to support Dairy Shrine?
I’ve been aware of Dairy Shrine since my college days when I received a student recognition award. I didn’t fully appreciate Dairy Shrine’s purpose until I served on its board. That’s when I came to really value the role Dairy Shrine plays in the dairy industry.
Dairy Shine’s mission is timeless. It’s as relevant today as it was 70-plus years ago when the organization was founded. There will always be dairy industry history to preserve and showcase, industry leaders to recognize, and youth – the future of the dairy industry – to recognize and support with scholarships.
How does Dairy Shrine fit into your legacy planning?
Everyone’s situation is different. My wife, Karen, and I have an estate plan we update from time to time. We’ve designated a portion of our estate to go to organizations and charities that are important to us, like our church, a camp for people with disabilities that our daughter enjoys, family support activities at the hospital where our daughter was born, and local volunteer fire departments. Dairy Shrine is also on that list. It is a logical, great way to give back to the dairy industry, which was so important to me while I was growing up and during a major portion of my career.
Why are financial contributions so important to Dairy Shrine?
Dairy Shrine is blessed to have an army of dedicated volunteers who pitch in to judge scholarship and award applicants, help with the annual banquet or at the museum, and serve the organization in a variety of ways year after year.
But in reality, it also takes money to carry out Dairy Shrine’s mission. As time marches on it will no doubt take even more money for the organization to maintain and grow its relevance in the dairy industry. Youth scholarships, for example, while generous today, will likely need to trend up in value to simply keep up with rising college tuition costs.
Something that stood out to me when I served on the Dairy Shrine board was the careful, methodical use of the organization’s money to support initiatives. Every dollar was spent in a responsible way to ultimately support Dairy Shrine’s mission. That’s important to us as we consider the organizations we want to give money to.
Dan was on the Dairy Shrine board of directors from 2012 to 2019 which “completely sold” him on the relevance and importance of Dairy Shrine’s mission and fueled a desire to help financially support Dairy Shrine however possible.
In the following Q&A, Dan explains why he and his wife, Karen, have included Dairy Shrine as a beneficiary in their estate plan.
Do you have a preference how money you give to Dairy Shrine would someday be used?
No, we’ll leave it to future leaders of Dairy Shrine to ensure any money we give to the organization is put to the best possible use.
Any other comments?
Truth be known, many people before us who appreciate and love the dairy industry have been paying it forward for decades to make Dairy Shrine what it is today and make it possible for the organization to carry out its mission. This is simply a way for us to someday help do our part.
