Mr. Scott Higgins was inducted into the Ohio State Dairy Science Hall of Service April 2, 2016. The event took place during the Evening of Excellence recognition program hosted by the Department of Animal Sciences.
Scott Higgins was born in Columbus, OH and was raised on a Holstein dairy farm located in Delaware and Licking counties. He is a 1984 graduate of The Ohio State University, with a BS in Agricultural Economics. He was a member of the OSU Dairy Judging Team in 1982 and 1983.
Upon graduation, Scott began to work for the American Dairy Association (ADA) Mideast and then quickly became President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of ADA Mideast (1986-present) and later became CEO of the Ohio Dairy Producers Association (ODPA) (2005-present). Throughout his 30 years of service with dairy promotion, he has chaired and served on numerous national dairy promotion committees. Also, his leadership has resulted in consumers being more knowledgeable about dairy farmers and how they care for their livestock and about the benefits of dairy foods.
He successfully partnered with Milk Marketing, Inc. (now Dairy Farmers of America) to create and introduce Moo Kooler, which was the first single-serve flavored milk designed specifically for children in convenient 12 oz. plastic bottles sold both as singles and in 6-packs. Since 1986, Scott has served on the senior leadership team of UDIA/ADA/National Dairy Council/Dairy Management, Inc., which has delivered innovative programs, such as the Fuel Up to Play 60 program developed in partnership with the NFL.
He served as president of the Ohio Livestock Coalition and served on the Board of Directors of the Ohioans for Livestock Care. Scott has been a member and served as an officer of the Ohio Agriculture Council. He has made contributions to OSU and the College of FAES by serving as a guest lecturer for animal science and marketing courses and hosted dairy science classes at ADA over the past 20 years. His organization has annually supported the College, Animal Science, and 4-H youth events. In 2009, he led the initiative for the dairy organizations to finance and construct the dairy building at Farm Science Review where the OSU Dairy Club serves milkshakes. He also serves on the OSU Food Science and Technology Advisory Board and OSU Veterinary Preventive Medicine Advancement Board.
Scott is a respected leader in Ohio agriculture, the nation's dairy industry, and his community. It was well summed up by 2 of his nominators, ”one of the most energetic and passionate leaders in Ohio’s agriculture” and “a true visionary leader who has a great compassion for all who work in the dairy industry”. The recognition provided as a recipient of the Dairy Science Hall of Service Award acknowledges Scott’s many contributions to the dairy industry and the training of OSU students and youth in agriculture.