Caroline Emond has resigned as executive director of Dairy Farmers of Canada (DFC) after two and half years in the position.

Emond will be stepping down effective July 4, DFC announced Wednesday.

Emond has dealt with some significant files and changes to dairy marketing since she replaced long-time retiring executive director Richard Doyle.

She has revamped the consumer marketing arm and changed the visual identity of the organization. There are more provinces now working together on marketing with the national marketing group.

The second area is the agreement in principle to create a different class of milk that will help replace imports of milk protein isolates. This direction was created in consultation with processors. However, it has not yet been implemented across the country, despite having been in place for more than a year in some provinces.

Emond has also had to deal with significant trade files, including the Trans-Pacific Partnership and the Canada-EU Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA).

“Caroline has brought a breath of fresh air to DFC. She was instrumental in one of the most challenging times in the history of Canada dairy industry,” said Wally Smith, president of Dairy Farmers of Canada.

DFC said it will be conducting a search for a replacement.

— John Greig is a field editor for Glacier FarmMedia based at Ailsa Craig, Ont. Follow him at @jgreig on Twitter.