Dave Drennan

Dave’s experience working for the American Soybean Association and the National Corn Growers Association gave him direction and purpose to start and implement programs for the dairy industry in Missouri. His national experience in agriculture trade organizations was instrumental in guiding dairy programs in Missouri that included legislative, educational, organizational, promotional, and production efforts. Dave represented MDA on the Show-Me Dairy Board and followed it by serving as Executive Director of the Missouri Dairy Growth Council from 2004 until 2019 to promote dairy growth in Missouri.

Dave Drennan of Chesterfield, Missouri is the recipient of the 2022 Meritorious Service Award. Dave served as the first full-time Executive Director for the Missouri Dairy Association for over 23 years until April 2019.

Dave was born and raised in Rockwell City, Iowa on a diversified farm. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Journalism from Iowa State University in 1975. While in college, he was a member of Lambda Chi Alpha and Alpha Zeta.

He also founded the idea of a multi-state dairy meeting in Springfield that became the fourth largest multi-state dairy conference in the U.S. He served as Sales Manager for the highly successful Heart of America Dairy Expo for seven years. The last three years included the first ever FFA Day for dairy.

Dave promoted the idea of a new dairy milking parlor and restaurant together under one roof at the Missouri State Fair. He was instrumental in raising $150,000 of private donations for the Gerken Dairy Center which was built in 1999. It was the first new building constructed, in many years, at the fair.

In 2017, Dave worked to get funding from the State of Missouri for dairy producers. This was approved and budgeted $700,000 for distribution. Dave also worked closely with the University of Missouri on several projects over the years including conducting five Missouri Dairy Profit Seminars across the state. He also served as MDA’s representative on the Missouri Dairy Hall of Honors.

Dave was recognized as the St. Louis AgriBusiness Club’s Ag Leader of the Year in 2012. In 2014, he received the American Soybean Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award, Membership Focus, at the Commodity Classic.

Dave and his wife Karen have two children. Their son Brad is getting married in February to Jami Narber in Des Moines. Their daughter, Katie Ford, lives in St. Peters with her husband David and their son Sherman.