Five individuals have been nominated to serve in leadership positions of the national Jersey organizations, four for the American Jersey Cattle Association and one for National All-Jersey Inc. Board of Directors. Results of the elections will be announced during the meetings of the organizations the week of June 14.
All active members shown on the membership books of the Association on the date 50 days prior to the Annual Meeting (May 1, 2026) are eligible to vote for AJCA President and Directors. Persons eligible to vote for NAJ Directors (by district) are producer members, those who pay fees as established by the Board of Directors, and honorary members shown on the membership records of the corporation 60 days prior to the Annual Meeting (April 19, 2026).
The notice of the annual meeting and the official ballot and proxy will be mailed to all members eligible to vote on May 14 (NAJ) and May 15 (AJCA).
AJCA President
Alan Chittenden
Alan Chittenden, Schodack Landing, N.Y., has been nominated for President of the American Jersey Cattle Association (AJCA). He is currently serving his fourth term as president. Prior to this, he served two terms as Director of the Second District.
Chittenden operates Dutch Hollow Farm LLC with his family. Dutch Hollow now includes three generations of partners managing 1,000 cows, 700 replacements and 2,000 acres of cropland.
Dutch Hollow Farm has been enrolled on REAP since 1997 and contributed to Project Equity since 1977. Dutch Hollow Farm regularly consigns animals to the All American Jersey Sale, the National Heifer Sale, and the Pot O’Gold Sale and supports several regional Jersey sales with consignments. The Chittendens use JerseyTags to permanently identify the herd, have been a contract advertiser in the Jersey Journal since 1980 and host a website on JerseySites.com. Dutch Hollow Farm sponsors the Best Bred and Owned awards at the All American Junior Jersey Show each year.
The dairy is a member of Agri-Mark, which owns the “Cabot” and “McCadam” brand names. Milk from Dutch Hollow Farm is also used by fellow Jersey breeders High Lawn Farm, Lenox, Mass. and Mapleline Farm, Hadley, Mass., to supplement their Queen of Quality® bottling programs. Milk is also sold to Four Fat Fowl, Stephentown, N.Y. Dutch Hollow Farm joined with 11 other dairy farms in the Hudson Valley to market milk under the “Hudson Valley Fresh” label as well.
Alan graduated from Cornell University in 1990 with a degree in dairy science. He won the National Jersey Youth Achievement Contest in 1988 and earned the AJCA Young Jersey Breeder award in 2000 with his wife, Donna. In 2012, Dutch Hollow Farm LLC received the AJCA Master Breeder Award.
Chittenden is currently a director for the New England Jersey Breeders Association and has also served the organization as president. Chittenden has been a 4-H leader and county dairy judging coach for more than two decades.
Alan and Donna have three children, Emily (Kirk), Maxwell and Lydia, who have been active in Jersey youth programs. Their son-in-law, Quade Kirk, and grandsons, Jackson and Henrich, are proud breeders of Registered Jerseys as well.
AJCA Director Nominee – First District
Lynda Lehr
Lynda Lehr, Canastota, N.Y., has been nominated to serve as Director from the First District of the American Jersey Cattle Association (AJCA), representing Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia and West Virginia.
Lynda operates Ky-Hi Jerseys with her husband, John, their daughter, Kylie, their son, Dylan, his fiancée, Julie, and their son, Wilder. The herd is enrolled on REAP and uses JerseyTags for permanent identification. Heifers are raised on the home farm, while milking cows are at Dutch Hollow Farm in Schodack Landing, N.Y. The current herd average on 25 cows is 20,614 lbs. milk, 1,103 lbs. fat and 785 lbs. protein. The herd includes seven Excellent and 16 Very Good cows and has an average final score of 85.5%.
The Lehrs enjoy showing, primarily at the local level, but have also shown at the All American Jersey Show. Twice they exhibited the winning GJPI entry in the National Jersey Jug Futurity: Ky-Hi Oliver Joyfull-P-ET, Excellent-92%, in 2020, and Ky-Hi Oliver Walnut-P, Excellent-94%, in 2022.
Lynda is a third-generation Jersey breeder, following in the footsteps of her grandparents, George and Doretta Rich of Rich-Dorr Jerseys in Franklin, N.Y., and her mother, Margaret Johnson of Hi-Hope Jerseys and Hi-Five Jerseys of New Berlin, N.Y. Growing up, Lynda was active in all aspects of the farm since it was operated solely by her mother, her two younger sisters and her.
Lynda earned an undergraduate degree in animal science with a concentration in agricultural economics and a master’s degree in adult education from Cornell University. She spent 30 years with Wells Fargo in learning and development and now works for Premier Select Sires as a sales support specialist. In this capacity, she helps New York producers improve reproduction, herd health, nutrition and overall farm efficiency through the CowManager activity monitoring system.
The Lehrs started a herd of their own in 2007 when they decided to keep and freshen Haves Lovabull Watchfull-P, whom Kylie had chosen from Fred Havill as a month-old calf. When she was genotyped and ranked #5 among polled females for GJPI, they put her through several rounds of in vitro fertilization.
A foundation cow, she transmitted both type and production, and today, 80% of the herd traces to “Watchfull-P.” She was appraised Excellent-93%, made 146,035 lbs. milk, 76,407 lbs. fat and 5,375 lbs. protein lifetime and even walked the colored shavings in Louisville, Ky. One of her daughters, Ky-Hi Craze Crazefull-P-ET, was struck off at the sale in Louisville in 2018, purchased by Rancho Teresita Dairy. As a donor dam at Kash-In Jerseys, she has 68 progeny to date, including Kash-In Crazefulls Kronos-PP-ET at Select Sires Inc.
Kylie and Dylan have been involved with the Pot O’Gold program. Both have won the ensuing production contest: Dylan in 2020 and Kylie in 2023. The Lehrs have also hosted a Jersey show with 70-90 head from 35-40 exhibitors for the past 37 years.
Lynda is currently the associate chair of the National Jersey Jug Futurity Committee. She also sits on the All American Junior Activities Committee, which she served as associate chair in 2019 and chair the following year.
She is junior activities chair for the New York Jersey Cattle Club and president and show chair of the Chenango District Jersey Club, founded by her mother in 1989. She volunteers for Chenango County 4-H and is a member of the dairy committee for the junior livestock show put on by Fenimore Farm & Country Village.
She is an election inspector for the local school district, a former board member of the Cornell Cooperative Extension in Madison County and a past president of the Parent-Teacher Organization for the Morrisville-Eaton Central School District.
Lynda is passionate about the Jersey breed and youth and would be honored to represent fellow breeders from District 1 on the AJCA board.
AJCA Director Nominee – Second District
Ted DeMent
Ted DeMent, Kenney, Ill., has been nominated to serve as Director from the Second District of the American Jersey Cattle Association (AJCA). He is currently serving his first term as a director, having been elected in 2023 to represent the Sixth District, which is now the Second District and includes Arkansas, Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Wisconsin and Wyoming. DeMent sits on the IT and Development Committee.
Ted and his family own and operate DeMents Jerseys, a 260-acre dairy farm established by his parents, Don and Shirley DeMent, in 1955. Ted and his two siblings were all raised on the farm and involved with the growing Jersey operation in their youth. The DeMents raised and milked a 50-cow Registered Jersey herd in a tie stall barn and bred with a focus on a desirable balance of type and production. Since 2012, most of the milking herd has been housed and milked with the Registered Jersey herd at Kilgus Dairy in Tremont, Ill. The DeMents milk 2-3 cows at the home farm to feed calves and the family.
Though he “officially” began showing in 4-H when he was eight, Ted was helping his older sisters with the show string and on the halter much earlier. His all-time favorite cow is a show cow from the early years, Jim Dandy Justin Gladys, who topped the five-year-old class at The All American Jersey Show in 1994.
Ted was active in 4-H and FFA with show projects. He earned his FFA Star Farmer and was a member of FFA teams that judged dairy cattle and dairy products. He received an associate degree from Lincoln Community College. He has an undergraduate degree in agriculture production from Illinois State University and was a member of the university’s dairy judging team.
For six years, Ted was an appraiser for the AJCA. He then headed back home to farm with his family. In 2009, he and his wife, Cheryl, assumed management of the dairy. In 2012, they partnered with Kilgus Dairy of Tremont, Ill., to raise some of their heifers at the DeMent farm, an arrangement that continues today. DeMents Jerseys is enrolled on REAP and uses JerseyTags for permanent identification. With the latest herd appraisal in August 2024, the herd includes 19 Excellent and 21 Very Good cows and has a herd average final score of 88.4%. DeMents Jerseys supports Jersey Marketing Service (JMS) through routine consignments to and purchases from JMS-managed sales.
Ted and Cheryl received the AJCA Young Jersey Breeder Award in 2005. Ted was named winner of the Max Gordon Recognition Award in 2021.
The DeMents have attended the Illinois State Fair every year since 1948 and earned banners for both Premier Breeder and Premier Exhibitor many times. They showed the Supreme Champion of the show in 2010 and the Supreme Champion of the Land of Lincoln division in 2022. They have also been regular exhibitors at county fairs, World Dairy Expo and The All American Jersey Show.
Ted has served on each of the four All American committees—open show, junior show, futurity, and sale—and chaired both the open show and sale committees. He is serving his third term on the AJCA Type Advisory Committee (one term as chair) and was president of both the Illinois Jersey Cattle Club and the Illinois Purebred Dairy Cattle Association. He has been on the AllBreed Access All-American panel for Ayrshire, Guernsey, Jersey and Milking Shorthorn breeds and represents the Jersey breed on the exhibitor committee for World Dairy Expo.
He judged the All American Jersey Show in 2000, 2008 and 2021. He was also the official for the All American Junior Jersey Show in 2011 and the National Jersey Jug Futurity in 2002 and 2016. He was the associate judge for the International Guernsey Show in 2023. Ted has judged many other shows as well.
Ted has worked with herds of all sizes—large to small—through his work as an appraiser and has personal experience managing a small herd. He has interacted with dairy farmers across the country and thus gained perspective on a range of viewpoints and an understanding of values and concerns. He hopes to help develop the Jersey cow and Jersey industry in a way that utilizes new and future technology while also remembering the past.
AJCA Director Nominee – Third District
Kristin Killgore
Kristin (Hogan) Killgore, Tillamook, Ore., has been nominated to serve as Director from the Fourth District of the American Jersey Cattle Association (AJCA), representing Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah and Washington.
Killgore grew up on Misty Meadow Dairy alongside her older siblings, Becky and Matt. The 4,500-cow dairy, established by their parents, Dave and Rita Hogan, is enrolled on REAP. The Hogans breed Registered Jerseys using the MM prefix. Misty Meadow Dairy ranks #5 in the nation for genetic merit with a herd average Jersey Performance Index of +90 and has a 2025 lactation average of 20,366 lbs. milk, 1,154 lbs. fat and 798 lbs. protein.
Kristin and Matt received the AJCA Young Jersey Breeder award in 2025.
Kristin’s passion for Jerseys began early through 4-H and FFA. In second grade, she received her first Registered Jersey, Rebob Ainge Polly, and exhibited her at the county fair, marking the beginning of a lifelong journey in the dairy industry. Throughout her youth, she developed and managed a core group of Jerseys that she showed at local, state and national levels.
As her involvement in Jersey activities grew, so did her leadership opportunities. She was crowned Western National Jersey Queen in 2006 and National Jersey Queen two years later. She graduated from the inaugural Jersey Youth Academy in 2008 and attended the annual meetings of the national Jersey organizations in Syracuse, N.Y., in 2009.
Kristin graduated from Oregon State University (OSU) in 2011 with a double major in animal science (dairy option) and general agriculture, and a minor in communications. While a student, she became deeply involved in agriculture and dairy organizations. She was president of the OSU Dairy Club and co-chaired the OSU Beaver Classic Sale in 2008. As a member of the university’s dairy judging team, she traveled to dairy farms across the country and Canada, broadening her perspective and building relationships with fellow dairy producers. A highlight was being named the high individual of the collegiate dairy judging contest held at the North American International Livestock Exposition in 2007. Killgore was also on the university’s agricultural executive leadership team and represented the OSU College of Agricultural Sciences as an ag ambassador.
Her time at OSU also shaped her personal life. Here, she met her husband, Ryan Killgore. Together they have three children: Henry, 10, Haylee, 7, and Katie, 5. Their children are active in sports, and Henry is in his second year of 4-H.
Killgore’s career path included experience beyond the farm. After college, she worked for the Tillamook County Fairgrounds, handling a variety of clerical and administrative responsibilities, including payroll. From 2011 to 2017, she stepped away from showing to focus on her work at the fairgrounds and raise her family. But when Henry showed his first Jersey at age two, she found herself drawn back to the barn and the show ring.
Today, Kristin applies the administrative and organizational skills she developed at the fairgrounds to her role at Misty Meadow Dairy, where she manages payroll, human resources and business operations. She also works with the family’s show herd, caring for the cattle as they travel to major shows across the country, including the All American Jersey Show and World Dairy Expo.
She has served on the National Jersey Jug Committee since 2023, helped judge the National Jersey Queen Contest in 2023 and 2024, and been co-chair of the Western National Jersey Show since 2024.
Her involvement extends beyond the Jersey breed. She has served as treasurer of the Tillamook FFA Alumni Association since 2016 and been dairy princess advisor for Tillamook Dairy Women since 2017. She has also been a committee member for the Oregon Dairy Women since 2012 and is involved with Oregon Farm Bureau, the Tillamook Elks Lodge and Tillamook Creamery as a young cooperative member.
The connections and experiences Killgore gained through collegiate organizations, judging teams and Jersey activities have played a major role in helping Misty Meadow Dairy strengthen its industry relationships and expand its network within the dairy community.
Killgore takes pride in fostering strong Jersey connections and meeting new people. Her outgoing personality and passion for the breed have made her a natural ambassador for the farm, representing both the commercial dairy and the show program with enthusiasm and professionalism.
Her dedication to both the dairy and Jersey breed continues to make a lasting impact on the family operation and the broader dairy community.
NAJ Director Nominee – District 4
Donna Phillips
Donna Phillips, D.V.M., Newton, Wis., has been nominated to serve as Director for District 4 of National All-Jersey Inc. This district includes Arkansas, Iowa, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri and Wisconsin.
Donna owns and operates D & D Jerseys with her husband, Dan Stock, and daughters, Emalee and Erica. The REAP herd has ranked among the top 10 in the nation for production for the past 18 years. The 2025 lactation average (m.e.) of 25,424 lbs. milk, 1,369 lbs. fat and 970 lbs. protein ranks first for protein, second for fat and third for milk nationally. The m.e. and actual herd averages rank first for all measures among herds with 40-79 cows.
The top producer, Norse Star Lemonhead 4963-ET, Excellent-90%, has six lactations—all over 25,000 lbs. milk—and a best record of 39,940 lbs. milk, 1,350 lbs. fat and 1,197 lbs. protein in 305 days at 7-0. A homebred member of the herd, Dodan Crisp Complete Krumple-ET, won the President’s Trophy in 2023 with an m.e. protein record of 1,327 lbs. at 3-4.
D & D Jerseys ranks among the top 50 herds in the U.S. for genetic merit with a herd average Jersey Performance Index of +74. Three cows and a heifer rank on the top genetic lists published by the American Jersey Cattle Association (AJCA). The herd includes four Excellents and 73 Very Goods and has an appraisal average of 83%.
Donna grew up on Phillips Jersey Farm in Clayton, Ill., and got her first 4-H calf when she was eight years old. She is proud of the fact that half of the current D & D Jerseys herd traces back to that calf or members of her father’s herd.
After finishing her veterinary degree from the University of Illinois in 1993, Donna moved to Wisconsin to practice veterinary medicine. It was here she met Dan and married him in 1997. Their mutual love for farming―her for cows and him for tractors―was a match made in heaven, leading to the establishment of D & D Jerseys with a core group of cows from her herd and some purchased from her father. Lots of bull calves in the first few years forced the purchase of several other animals that would become foundation animals for the herd, along with Donna’s initial Jerseys.
The couple purchased their current farm in 1999, began construction of a freestall barn and parlor in 2001, and were officially milking in October 2002. They market milk to cheese maker BelGioisio.
Donna and Dan received the AJCA Young Jersey Breeder Award in 2005.
D & D Jerseys regularly consigns to leading Jersey sales, including the All American Jersey Sale, the National Heifer Sale and the Pot O’Gold Sale. D & D has also been a long-time supporter of the Wisconsin State Sale, consigning the historical high seller of the series, JX Dodan LH Avon Trefoil {3}-ET, a heifer owned in partnership with Lloyd Heinz of Shawano, Wis., in 2017. She sold for $44,000 to Sexing Technologies of Navasota, Texas.
Donna served two terms as a director of the AJCA beginning in 2019. During her tenure, she chaired the IT and Development Committee and sat on the Breed Improvement Committee. She is a long-serving member of the National Jersey Jug Committee, chairing the group in 2024, and has also been a member of the JPI Advisory Committee and the All American Sale and Show Committees.
Phillips served four four-year terms as director of the Wisconsin Jersey Breeders Association and has been president and vice president, too. She is a member of Farm Bureau, the Manitowoc County Dairy Promoters and the Manitowoc County Forage Council. Having been in 4-H for 11 years herself, Donna is an avid supporter of the 4-H program, working with her local county judging team and providing calves for local youth to exhibit at the fair.
D & D Jerseys hosted the Manitowoc County Breakfast on the Farm in 2014, welcoming more than 5,000 people for breakfast and farm tours. D & D Jerseys has also hosted several school classes and has worked with the Farm Wisconsin Discovery Center to provide hands-on experience with Jerseys to children and adults.
Electronic Voting
To vote electronically, you must have a unique email on file with the AJCA.
