Organic Valley

Employee Profiles—Louise Hemstead


Louise HemsteadFormal Title:

Chief Operating Officer

Informal Title:

Job Duties:

Oversee production and co-processors in 12 states Oversee and manage CROPP’s own Creamery Direct Quality Assurance, New Product Development Direct Production recommendations , and plant coordination and certification.

Describe your Job in 5 words or less:

Rapid Fire Growth, Challenging, Farmer driven,

Education:

Bachelor’s of Science - Agriculture

When did you start working for CROPP?

June 1993

Why did you decide to work for CROPP?

I wanted to be closer to my family and travel less then in the corporate environment of national milk cooperative giant AMPI.

Describe CROPP in 5 words or less:

Human, Rapid Fire Growth, Challenging

Describe a typical day at CROPP from you job perspective?

Aside from my technical expertise - Forecast membership production. Challenge production with Quality improvement my days are spent in oversite and coaching of staff who are rising to work with the ever growing challenges in this organization.

Describe your favorite CROPP story or work related story:

There are many great stories at CROPP ? people are working with each other ? and live and care ? one of the great stories is of a staff member whose wife is diagnosed with cancer, and employees have made dinner for them and their 4 children twice a week for 6 months.

Words to live by:

An idea not coupled with action will never get any bigger then the brain cell it occupied - Arnold Glasgow

Personal or favorite quote:

When I am employed in serving others I do not look upon myself as conferring favors, but paying debts - Benjamin Franklin

How do you get to work? (what do you drive to work, etc):

2002 Hyundai Santa Fe

Favorites:

 

Music:

Classical

Food:

Cheese

Hobbies:

Cross stitching, Horsebackriding, Reading, Helping my Husband Farm

Books:

Mysteries - - they help me fly

Name two things you are good at:

Multi – tasking, Giving Hugs

What two words describe you?

Energetic, Integrity

Family information:

Married 20 years, husband David is an Organic Valley Dairy Farmer 2 children - 1 daughter, 1 son.