College of Agriculture & Natural Resources Alumni & Friends

For decades, John Dilland has been a leader in Michigan's dairy industry and a dedicated supporter of dairy programs at Michigan State University's College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (CANR).

Raised on a farm in North Dakota, Dilland developed an early interest in agriculture. He earned a bachelor's degree in animal science with a minor in agronomy from North Dakota State University and later completed an MBA at The Ohio State University after serving two years in the Army.

Dilland joined the Michigan Milk Producers Association (MMPA) in 1975 as controller, helping add nearly $24 million in equity to the cooperative's balance sheet over the next decade. He was promoted to director of finance in 1980 and became general manager in 2003.

During his tenure, he led major mergers and strategic transactions, helped transition MMPA to value-added dairy ingredients and played a key role in negotiating one of the cooperative's first partnerships with Leprino Foods Company.

Dilland served the dairy industry through leadership roles with the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives, National Milk Producers Federation and Michigan FFA Foundation. He’s been a member of the Michigan Dairy Memorial and Scholarship Foundation board of directors for 23 years.

Dilland recently made a gift to the Joe Domecq Dairy Education Endowment at MSU. The endowment supports curriculum innovation, expands teaching capacity and provides hands-on learning opportunities for students in the Dairy Program.

In this Community Voice article, Dilland shares his commitment to strengthening Michigan's dairy industry and preparing its future leaders.

The dairy industry in Michigan has been the largest contributor to the agriculture economy in Michigan for many generations. Michigan State University has been a significant resource for dairy farmers achieving that success since MSUs founding as a land-grant university.

Since 1916 the Michigan Milk Producers Association (MMPA) has been the predominate milk marketing organization for helping dairy farmers maximize their returns from dairying.  MMPA’s membership and producer leadership efforts were key to gaining support from the Michigan legislature for substantial state funding for the new dairy facilities at MSU.

While the number of dairy producers has declined over the years, MMPA has continually adjusted to changes in the marketplace so that total milk marketed and processed by MMPA continued to grow in milk volume and products manufactured. Dairy producers have had to adapt also through new farm efficiencies, expansions, and improved animal selection, herd health, animal housing, feeding and breeding programs.

Many of the improvements originated through collaboration between MSU researchers, MSU Extension and commercial dairy industry companies serving dairy farmers. These changes have kept the industry successful, resulting in Michigan ranking number one in the U.S. for milk production per cow

To continue this momentum, we need to invest in new science and technology. MSU and the State of Michigan demonstrated that commitment by building its new Dairy Cattle Teaching and Research Center. This state-of-the-art facility will keep the Michigan dairy industry on the cutting edge and competitive moving forward.

I see the support for the dairy industry having a three-legged stool approach for producer education for success.  The new MSU facility will provide the latest research capabilities for assisting dairy farm operations.  The campaign to strengthen teaching programs through the Joe Domecq Dairy Education Endowment Fund will drive dairy education as a major agricultural program at MSU for dairy science. And finally, the third leg is the current Michigan Dairy Memorial and Scholarship Foundation (MDMSF) which for more than 70 years has been providing students at MSU with significant scholarships for those interested in animal science and agri-business.

The MDMSF has an endowment of nearly five million dollars and annually provides 15 or more scholarships to students that are majoring in animal or agriculture programs. Educating the youth in dairy science knowledge and leadership programs is essential for providing future leadership for the industry. 

These three programs will help ensure a successful dairy industry in Michigan, one that can help lead the nation in efficiencies and financial success.

You can support the Joe Domecq Dairy Education Endowment Fund by making a gift online here. MSU and CANR will host the official building dedication of the Dairy Cattle Teaching and Research Center on October 8, 2026.  

A $30 million investment from State of Michigan provided the initial funding for the project, but additional private support from alumni and stakeholders in the dairy industry is needed to fully realize the farm’s long-term vision for programming and research.  

To learn more about supporting the Domecq Endowment or additional opportunities at the MSU Dairy Cattle Teaching and Research Center, contact Kyle Cutler, director of development for the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, at cutlerky@msu.edu.