Client Spotlight: Cheryl Hayn
 c21 works with a diverse set of clients – but likely no one else was once a New England Patriot’s cheerleader and now runs a multi-million dollar nonprofit organization. But in fact, Cheryl Hayn is that very person. In addition, she was c21’s first client.
A Yankee transplant from Massachusetts, Cheryl moved to Atlanta in 1984 and began working as a nutrition researcher for Kellen Company, which manages associations for the food and beverage industry. It was at Kellen that Cheryl was exposed to marketing communications and public relations, and wanted to make that her career focus.
In 1988, Cheryl became the nutrition communications director for the Southeast United Dairy Industry Association (SUDIA), which is the Southeast’s nutrition education and dairy product promotional organization, funded by 4,500 dairy farmers. The organization’s goal is to educate consumers on the benefits of enjoying milk, cheese and yogurt everyday.
Today, almost 20 years later, she is the first female general manager to run the nonprofit organization. According the Cheryl, she enjoys working for dairy farmers because they are “such a down to earth, family-centered group of people, and every time I visit a dairy farm, I continually learn something new about this industry.” That’s a sign of someone who truly loves her job!
What does Cheryl see on the horizon for the dairy industry? “We are definitely shifting from traditional advertising, retail promotion and education to working on consumer-driven product innovations much earlier in the marketing chain. There is a world of dairy products that the U.S. has never seen – value added milk, new flavors, new packaging and new places for getting milk, cheese and yogurt.” Together, c21 and she are diligently working to change the face of the dairy industry in the Southeast.
When she’s not working, Cheryl has enjoyed seeing her son Ryan play in Georgia Tech’s band, taking dance classes and seeing the latest Broadway shows with her daughter in New York City.
We can’t thank Cheryl enough for believing in c21 way back in 1992, and look forward to another 15 years together.
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