Amanda Phelps didn’t grow up in agriculture, but today she is one of the biggest advocates for and educators about dairy issues as the CEO of Southwest and Southland Dairy Farmers (SWDF), a role she assumed in April 2025. The Texas Association of Dairymen recently interviewed Phelps to learn more about her and how she is guiding SWDF to meet the needs of both dairy farmers and consumers.
Q: Congratulations on your promotion to CEO of Southwest and Southland Dairy Farmers (SWDF). Please share a bit about your background, particularly your connection to agriculture, and the roles you’ve held with SWDF since joining the staff in 2018.
Thank you, I greatly appreciate that. My career began with the Tulsa State Fair immediately after college. I held numerous positions from communication coordinator to overseeing areas that included competitive exhibits, special events, and facility rentals and sales on the non-fair side. It was during my time at the fair that I met the people at Southwest Dairy Farmers. I coordinated the area where the Mobile Dairy Classroom and product sampling were located. Over several years I became familiar with the company, the people and their role within the dairy industry. I was very fortunate to have been approached about joining the staff in the Tulsa office, and I began with Southwest and Southland Dairy Farmers in October 2018 as Director of Educational Programs and Community Outreach. In 2021, I moved into the role of Chief Operating Officer and in April 2025, CEO. I have been incredibly grateful for the opportunities that I have received and have not taken my roles and what we are setting out to achieve lightly.
My connection to agriculture did not begin until I started with SWDF. When starting with the company, I completely immersed myself in all things dairy, from research to asking questions wherever I would go and working with a group of people who I can learn from every day. My knowledge of this industry continues to grow, along with the excitement that I have for dairy. The respect I have for this industry is incredibly immense. While I may not have started in the agriculture sector, I am able to take the perspective I had as a consumer and apply it with what I have learned from those around me and work to achieve the ultimate goal of increasing the demand for dairy.
Q: What initially drew you to SWDF, and what ultimately inspired you to step into the role of CEO and lead the organization at this moment?
It was initially the people within the organization that attracted me to SWDF. Once I became a part of the company and the more I learned of the industry, the attraction has only grown from there. The staff and dairy producers and their families have inspired me in the new position. I know we will continue to be successful because of the people working for Southwest and Southland Dairy Farmers. I believe in a true team environment. The knowledge and experience we have on staff is second to none, and we take our combined talents to make our efforts a success.
I have gotten to know some of the dairy producers and their families, and it is hard not to be inspired by them. What they do day-in and day-out makes us want to work as hard as we can for them.
Q: SWDF serves both dairy farmers and the broader public. How has the mission of the organization evolved in recent years to meet the changing needs of dairy producers and consumers?
Our mission has guided us to stay true to what we do in terms of our core being promotion and education. We are moving with the times to expand our programs to continuously meet the needs of consumers, but we also stay focused on topics that we feel we are qualified to teach.
The Mobile Dairy Classroom is our flagship program and one of the best programs that helps our mission to stay true to what we do. There may be small changes and updates that we make to this program, but the impact that this has on hundreds of thousands of people each year makes this a necessity for our organization.
Q: What questions or information are consumers most often seeking from SWDF and the Southwest Dairy Museum about dairy, and how can dairy farmers assist SWDF to share information with the public?
Where several years ago we focused on mainly nutrition, now we see questions such as “What is A2 milk?” and “What current practices are being done on farms?” We still focus highly on nutrition, but we are also focused on what new subjects are trending. Members of our team visit dairy farms on a regular basis. These visits give us the tools to keep up directly on what dairy farmers are doing and what new information we can share with the public.
Q: Looking ahead, what are your short- and long-term goals for SWDF, including your vision for the Southwest Dairy Museum and its role in education and outreach?
My short-term goals have included a complete overview of our programs, day-to-day operations, and speaking with staff and producers about what they feel we are doing right and what we can do better. Long-term goals include several new programs that will take some time to develop. I went into my new role with the attitude that I would focus on multiple short-term goals initially, which will allow me to assess what the long-term goals should be for our organization.
Q: Finally, what message would you like to share directly with Texas dairy farm families as you begin this new chapter as CEO?
The entire SWDM staff is truly passionate about what we do and who we are here for. The opportunity to work for the dairy farmers and promote locally in their areas is a privilege. My message to the Texas dairy farm families is that we love what we do and we work hard day-in and day-out to make you more successful. If you ever need us, please reach out as we are here to promote all dairy farmers and the dairy industry as a whole.
