This year’s judging team includes 38 of the nation’s top cheese graders, cheese buyers, dairy science professors, and researchers hailing from 15 U.S. states. They are: 

• Jill Allen, Tillamook – Oregon  

• Valerie Arechiga, Glanbia Nutritionals – Idaho  

• Marc Bates, Bates Consulting – Oregon  

• Larry Bell, LBell Consulting – Wisconsin  

• Ted Brown, Cabot Creamery Cooperative – Vermont  

• Kimberlee “KJ” Burrington, American Dairy Products Institute – Wisconsin  

• Dr. Stephanie Clark, American Dairy Products Institute – New Mexico  

• Benedicte Coude, Ingredion – New Jersey  

• Mirjana Curic-Bawden, Ph.D, Novonesis – Wisconsin 

• Dominique Delugeau, Saputo Cheese USA – Wisconsin  

• Dr. MaryAnne Drake, North Carolina State University – North Carolina  

• Mike Dudas, Schuman Cheese – New Jersey  

• Chad Galer, Dairy Management Inc. – lllinois  

• Andy Johnson, Dairy Connection – Wisconsin  

• Aileen Kacvinsky, Schuman Cheese – Wisconsin  

• Dr. Kerry Kaylegian, BeSpoke Dairy Training LLC – Pennsylvania  

• Greg Kinate, TC Jacoby & Co. – Wisconsin 

• Kyle Koll, Sargento Foods – Wisconsin  

• Laura Laehn, Masters Gallery Foods – Wisconsin  

• Dr. Susan Larson, Center for Dairy Research (retired) – Wisconsin  

• Dr. Carmen Licon, California Polytechnic State University – California  

• Sarah Masoni, Oregon State University Food Innovation Center – Oregon  

• Eric Meredith, Jimbo’s – California 

• Dr. Lloyd Metzger, Valley Queen Cheese – South Dakota  

• Gina Mode, Center for Dairy Research – Wisconsin 

• Mike Pederson, Wisconsin Department, Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (retired) – Wisconsin  

• Rob Richter, Great Lakes Cheese – Wisconsin  

• David Satterness, Novonesis (retired) – South Dakota  

• Steve Schenkoske, Tosca (retired) – Wisconsin  

• Ben Smith, Hilmar – California 

• Dean Sommer, Center for Dairy Research – Wisconsin  

• Gideon St. Aubin, Dairy Farmers of America – Wisconsin  

• Cathy Strange, Whole Foods Market – Texas  

• Suresh Sutariya, IFF – Kansas 

• Don Tribby, IFF – Missouri 

• Eric Vorpahl, Masters Gallery Foods – Wisconsin  

• Julie Winans, Novonesis – Utah 
• Matt Zimbric, Foremost Farms USA – Wisconsin 

Judging will be overseen by the U.S. Championship Cheese Contest leadership team, known as the “Red Hats” for their signature Contest uniform. Led by Chief Judge Jim Mueller of Mueller Consulting, this elite panel of dairy industry experts is comprised of Assistant Chief Judges Tim Czmowski of ISG Engineering, Stan Dietsche of Oshkosh Cold Storage, Josef Hubatschek of ALPMA (retired), Mariana Marques de Almeida of Ms. J and Co., and Sandy Toney of Masters Gallery Foods; and Director of Logistics Randy Swensen of Wisconsin Aging & Grading Cheese. Joining the Red Hats for the first time in 2025 is John Jaeggi of the Center for Dairy Research. 

Hosted biennially by WCMA since 1981, the U.S. Championship Cheese Contest is the nation’s premier cheese, butter, cultured products, and dry dairy ingredient competition. This year, preliminary rounds of judging are open to the public from 10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. on Tuesday, March 4 and Wednesday, March 5. Fans of great cheese are also encouraged to tune in at USChampionCheese.org on Thursday, March 6 at 2:00 p.m. (CT) for a special livestream event, where the 2025 U.S. Champion Cheese will be unveiled for the very first time! Media are welcome to attend all three days of the event.