2003 Dairy Leadership Award

2003-StokesDoyle Dorman Stokes

Doyle Stokes has been a dairy industry leader in every sense of the word. The following listing of the organizations in which he maintained an active membership and served in a leadership role documents his contributions to the dairy industry.

  • Mid America Dairymen – South Division and Corporate Resolution Committees; Southern Division and Corporate Board of Directors; Southern Division Promotion Committee Director.
  • Louis Dairy Council – Director. Midland Dairy Association – Director and both Southern and Corporate Board Secretary.
  • Midland Dairy Association – Southern Board Chair.
  • United Dairy Industry Association – Director and Member of Executive Committee of the Corporate Board.
  • National Dairy Council – Director, Treasurer, Secretary, and Vice Chair.
  • Dairy Herd Improvement Association – Director.
  • Missouri Dairy Association – Member.
  • Missouri and National Holstein Associations – Member.

The Missouri Dairy Association nominated Doyle for the Dairy Hall of Honors Leadership Award and it was endorsed by Mary Thorsell of the Midwest Dairy Association, Overland Park, Kans.

In addition to his leadership in the dairy industry Doyle has taken an active role in community activities.

He was a member of the local Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service committee; an MFA Oil delegate; chair of the boards of the Eureka Methodist Church and Eureka Cemetery; chair of the advisory committee for Conway Schools; and he has been a director of the Laclede Electric Cooperative from 1982 to the present time.

In between all of his leadership activities Doyle found time to farm and raise a family. Early is his life he spent 18 years on the family dairy farm, spent the next 12 years in construction, and then became a dairy farmer once again.

He milked 130 Holstein cows of which 75% were registered stock. In 1998 he sold his cows.

Doyle was born on a farm near Conway Nov. 11, 1933.  He married Betty Wixson in 1951.

Doyle and Betty have two children – Genevieve and Jefferson.

Genevieve Sherer attended Southwest Missouri State University and now lives in Kansas City and works in the insurance world. She has a son – Morgan Young and two grandchildren – Noah and Cleo Young.

Jeff is a graduate of Southwest Missouri State University and holds a graduate degree granted by the University of Missouri.  He was a member of the second Agricultural Leaders of Tomorrow – A LOT – class. He now works in sales. He and his wife have three children – Jamie, Ryan, and Kayla Stokes.

The Stokes live in Conway.