USJersey Leadership Elected at 2026 Annual Meeting
Officers and directors of the USJersey organizations were elected during the Annual Meetings of the American Jersey Cattle Association (AJCA) and National All-Jersey Inc. (NAJ) held on June 18 and 20, 2026, in Springfield, Mo.
Alan Chittenden, Schodack Landing, N.Y., was elected to his fifth one-year term as President of AJCA on June 20. He is a fourth-generation breeder and owner of Registered Jerseys at Dutch Hollow Farms LLC. He owns and operates the farm with his parents and two brothers. They milk 900 Registered Jerseys and have the herd enrolled in REAP, are contract advertisers in the Jersey Journal and have contributed to Equity for 50 years. In 2012, the family was honored with the AJCA Master Breeder award. In addition, he has served as General Chair of The All American Jersey 
Shows & Sales in 2018, and chair of The All American Sale Committee in 2016. He served two terms as AJCA Director from the Second District from 2014-2020.
Lynda Lehr, Canastota, N.Y., was elected to her first four-year term as AJCA Director from the First District. A third-generation Jersey breeder, Lehr operates Ky-Hi Jerseys with her family and brings decades of experience in dairy cattle breeding, herd management and agricultural education. Active at the local, state and national levels, she has served in numerous leadership roles within the Jersey community, including the National Jersey Jug Futurity Committee, the All American Junior Activities Committee and several New York Jersey organizations. Lehr is passionate about advancing the Jersey breed and supporting youth involvement in the dairy industry.
Ted DeMent, Kenney, Ill., was re-elected to a four-year term as Director from the Second District. Ted and his family own and operate DeMents Jerseys, a 260-acre dairy farm established by his parents, Don and Shirley, in 1955. Ted was an appraiser for the AJCA for six years before returning to the home farm. In 2009, he and his wife, Cheryl, assumed management of the dairy. DeMents Jerseys is enrolled on REAP and uses JerseyTags for permanent identification. Ted and Cheryl received the AJCA Young Jersey Breeder Award in 2005. Ted was named the winner of the Max Gordon Recognition Award in 2021.
Kristin Hogan-Killgore of Tillamook, Ore., was elected to serve a four-year term as Director from the Third District of the AJCA. A lifelong Jersey enthusiast and second-generation member of Misty Meadow Dairy, Killgore combines experience in commercial dairy management, breed promotion and industry leadership. She oversees payroll, human resources and business operations for her family’s 4,500-cow Jersey dairy while also helping manage the farm’s nationally recognized show program. A graduate of Oregon State University, Killgore has served in leadership roles with numerous Jersey and agricultural organizations, including the National Jersey Jug Committee and the Western National Jersey Show and a former National Jersey Queen. She is passionate about building connections within the dairy community and promoting the value of the Jersey breed.
Chairs of standing committees for 2026-27 are Cornell, Kasbergen, Tulare, Calif., Finance; Tyler Boyd, Hilmar, Calif., Breed Improvement; Ralph Frerichs, LaGrange, Texas, Development; and Jason Johnson, Northwood, N.H., Information Technology and Identification.
Cornell Kasbergen was re-elected Vice President for the coming year. Kasbergen and his family milk 6,000 Jerseys and Holsteins on their Rancho Teresita Dairy in Tulare.
AJCA Board photo identification: The Board of Directors of the American Jersey Cattle Association for 2026-27 is pictured following the 158th Annual Meeting in Springfield, Mo., on June 20. Pictured, front row, from left: Kevin Lutz, Lincolnton, N.C.; Elaine Noble, Gillett, Pa., Lynda Lehr, Canastota, N.Y.; Vice President Cornell Kasbergen, Tulare, Calif.; President Alan Chittenden, Schodack Landing, N.Y.; Jason Johnson, Northwood, N.H.; Ethan Haywood, Hastings, Mich.; Tyler Boyd, Hilmar, Calif; and Neal Smith, Executive Secretary & CEO; back row: John Maxwell, Donahue, Iowa; Joe Vanderfeltz, Lawton, Pa.; Ralph Frerichs, LaGrange, Texas; Ted DeMent, Kenney, Ill.; and Joe Rocha, Tillamook, Ore. Not pictured: Kristin Hogan-Killgore, Tillamook, Ore.
National All-Jersey Inc.
Corey Lutz, Lincolnton, N.C., was re-appointed to the NAJ Boad of Directors by AJCA President Alan Chittenden on June 18. He was then re-elected as president by the Board of Directors for NAJ for the second consecutive year. He and wife Bridgette and children, Mandy, James and Olivia, own and operate Piedmont Jersey Dairy, a 250-cow herd enrolled in AJCA’s REAP program. The herd is intensively grazed and has a 2025 AJCA lactation average of 21,859 lbs. milk, 993 lbs. fat and 774 lbs. protein on an m.e. basis. They recently vertically integrated their dairy with the opening of Riverbend Creamery on the farm. The creamery is an on-farm store and processes milk and ice cream from the milking herd of Piedmont Jerseys.
Bradley Taylor, Booneville, Miss., was elected as Vice President of NAJ. He owns and operates Taylor Jersey Farm Inc. with his wife, Carla; sons, Lee, Carl and Holden. The family is in the process of opening an on-farm processing facility and market to offer their All-Jersey products to consumers. Bradley completed two three-year terms on the AJCA Board of Directors where he served as Finance Chair and a member of the Joint Operations committee previously.
Donna Phillips, D.V.M., of Newton, Wis., was elected to serve as Director for District 4 of NAJ. A lifelong Jersey breeder and veterinarian, Phillips owns and operates D & D Jerseys with her family, where the herd has ranked among the nation’s top 10 for production for the past 18 years. She brings extensive experience in herd management, genetics, production and Jersey leadership, having served two terms on the AJCA Board of Directors and in numerous national and state Jersey committee roles. Phillips is also active in agricultural education and youth programs, sharing her passion for Jerseys through 4-H, farm tours and community outreach.
Ex officio directors on the NAJ Board for 2026-2027 are AJCA President Alan Chittenden and AJCA Board committee chairs Cornell Kasbergen, Finance, and Ralph Frerichs, Development.
Board photo identification: The Board of Directors of National All-Jersey Inc., for 2026-27 is pictured following its 68th Annual Meeting in Springfield, Mo., on June 18. Pictured, front row, from left: Neal Smith, Executive Secretary & CEO; Joel Albright, Willard, Ohio; President Corey Lutz, Lincolnton, N.C.; Vice President Bradley Taylor, Booneville, Miss.; and Donna Phillips, Newton, Wis. second row: Cornell Kasbergen, Tulare, Calif.; Alan Chittenden, Schodack Landing, N.Y.; Jonathan Merriam, Hickman, Calif.; Sam Bok, Defiance, Ohio; Ralph Frerichs, LaGrange, Texas; and General Manager Grady Auer. Not pictured: Tom Seals, Beaver, Ore.
