UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Tammy Perkins has been hired as program manager for the Dairy Alliance, a new initiative launched by Penn State�s College of Agricultural Sciences with funding from the Pennsylvania General Assembly.

The Dairy Alliance was created to enhance the economic development of the Pennsylvania dairy industry. Dairy Alliance staff will collaborate with diverse stakeholders in the dairy industry, both inside and outside Penn State, to deliver educational programs to help producers take advantage of opportunities for future viability.

Perkins will assume key communications duties, with responsibility for directing calls from the Dairy Alliance's toll free dairy number (1-888-373-PA DAIRY), maintaining a calendar of dairy events on the Web (http://www.dairyalliance.com) and helping achieve the goals of the alliance. The hiring is the first in a series of four core staff for the Dairy Alliance.

The Dairy Alliance will play a pivotal role in increasing the profitability and sustainability of the industry, and will help to retain, develop and recruit economically viable dairies and dairy support businesses in Pennsylvania.

Before coming to the Dairy Alliance, Perkins was employed by the American Cancer Society as a cancer control director. As a regional representative for the Michigan Farm Bureau, Perkins advised five county farm bureaus and worked with producers and community representatives on a variety of issues. She also has worked as a Michigan 4-H program coordinator. She has a bachelor�s degree in animal science and a master�s degree in agriculture and extension education from Michigan State University.

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EDITORS: For more information, contact Lisa Holden at 814-863-3672, or via e-mail at lholden@das.cas.psu.edu.