Peter Ernster, Jr. is the SVP, Valley Natural Beverages at California Dairies, Inc., overseeing the sales, marketing, and operations for CDI’s newest facility. He brings over 20 years of dairy business leadership experience and is the fifth generation of his family in the dairy business.

VNB, a state-of-the-art fluid packaging facility located in Bakersfield, CA, introduces a new product line to CDI’s portfolio, with high quality dairy beverages including Extended Shelf Life (ESL) and Ultra-High Temperature (UHT) products.

Previously, Peter held the position of VP of Sales-Powder and VP, Ingredients for CDI. Before joining CDI, he was the Director of Sales and Marketing-Cheese at Hilmar Cheese Co., one of the world’s largest natural American style cheese and whey production manufacturers. Peter has also held roles of increasing leadership and responsibility in both sales and manufacturing at Pacific Cheese Co, Chateaux Cheese Corp, Northern Utah Manufacturing, Inc.

Peter has a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Southern California.

Mike McCully owns McCully Consulting, a firm that provides strategic consulting services to dairy and food companies. Client projects include business analysis, purchasing and supply chain strategies, market research, and commodity risk management. In addition, McCully Consulting has provided subject matter expertise for global consulting companies, private equity firms, and Wall Street investment banks. Prior to starting McCully Consulting, Mike worked for over 15 years at Kraft Foods where he held management roles in dairy, meat, and grain purchasing. 

Throughout his career, Mike has provided leadership on dairy industry issues. He has served on the Board of Directors for International Dairy Foods Association’s Milk Industry Foundation, IDFA Dairy Ingredients, and the Dairy Institute of California. He has been a member of IDFA’s Economic Policy Committee, Legislative Oversight Committee, Farm Bill Committee, the National Cheese Institute’s Economic Policy and Legislative Committee, and the California Dairy Institute’s Producer Relations committee. He also has served on numerous dairy industry task forces on dairy policy issues. 

Bob has been with the California Milk Advisory Board for ten years as the Vice President for Business Development, and was promoted to CEO, effective on May 7, 2025.  Previous assignments include marketing and general management at Blue Diamond Growers, where he led the division which launched branded snacks and beverages across Europe, Australia & Asia, and Kraft Foods in brand management roles for Taco Bell Home Originals, Kraft Cheese, DiGiorno, and Miracle Whip.   
A U.S. Army veteran, Carroll served from 1991 to 2006 as an Infantry officer, in roles from Rifle Platoon Leader to Battalion Operations Officer. While in the Army Reserves he was mobilized for a one-year deployment as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2005. 
Carroll holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and a Master of Science in Business Administration from Bucknell University.