BRATTLEBORO, Vt. — Holstein Association USA Inc. recently held its 125th annual meeting and national convention in Bloomington, Minn., from June 26 to 29. The annual meeting provided a time to update members on the state of association affairs and discuss pertinent industry topics, as well elect new directors and recognize annual award winners.

Elections were held for four seats on the Holstein Association USA board of directors. Peter B. Waterman, of Sabattus, was elected to his first three-year term as the new Region 1 director.

He received his bachelor’s degree in agricultural and resource economics from the University of Maine. Since 1981, he has been the farm and herd manager for Waterman Farms Inc., and its president since 2002. His herd has won the Progressive Genetics Herd Award 15 times and the Progressive Breeders’ Registry Award eight times. The farm was honored as the 1994 Maine Dairy Farm of the Year and 2009 Androscoggin Valley Conservation Farm of the Year.

Waterman was general chairman of the 2005 national convention in Portland, and has been a 14-time delegate to the national convention. He is a past president of the New England and Maine Holstein Associations. Waterman was honored as Maine’s Outstanding Young Holstein Breeder in 1994, and Distinguished Dairy Cattle Breeder in 2005. He is New England Holstein Association’s Finance Committee chairman.

Waterman has been the Tri-County DHIA President for more than 20 years, and served as a 2009-10 Agri-Mark milk cooperative delegate. He was a Maine Dairy Ad Hoc committee member in 2006 and served on the Governor’s Dairy Task Force in 2003. He has two children.

As Region 1 Director, Waterman will represent registered Holstein breeders from Region 1 on the Holstein Association USA board of directors. Region 1 includes Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut.