David P. Sumrall
Founder & President

Born and raised in the Deep South, David P. Sumrall grew up working in the family farm. Upon graduation from high school, he obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Dairy Production from Mississippi State University (MSU) in May 1978. Upon graduation, he entered private herd management.

David quickly recognized that some of his greatest professional satisfaction came in successfully teaching and training others by hands-on leadership and instruction. This passion to teach, train, and motivate others became a fundamental building block of his life’s work.

David joined the Mississippi Cooperative Extension Service (MCES) in 1983, where he connected his passion for the dairy production business with his skills for leadership, teaching, and effective communication. During his tenure with MCES, David was able to further deepen his people skills through post-graduate coursework in Extension Education.

In 1987, David joined the staff of Select Sires, Inc., where he worked as a consultant to dairy farmers in Mississippi and Louisiana regarding the genetic progress of their herds.

The lure of “cow-side” ever strong in David’s life, he returned to private herd management in late 1990, supervising the day-to-day operations of a 3,600-cow facility and sharpening his large herd management expertise.

David joined Aurora Dairy in 1993, responsible for operations in Colorado, Texas, and Idaho. Promoted to President and Chief Operating Officer in 1995, Sumrall and his staff managed the acquisition of large farms in Georgia and Florida, as well as the development of operations in Idaho and Maryland, growing the business to 20,000 cows with over 300 employees.

In 2004, David founded Dairy Production Systems, LLC (DPS), ultimately expanding to a total of five farms in four states. The DPS management system became recognized as an industry leader in people management, supreme cow care, and superior milk quality. A long-time advocate of superior milk quality, David has served on the board of directors of NMC and was a founder of a Florida-based milk cooperative focused on milk quality.

The economic crisis of 2008-09 resulted in the failure and closure of New Frontier Bank, the DPS banking facility. This tragic development abruptly left the business without financing during the worst banking and economic conditions since the Great Depression. As a result, in November 2009, the financial instruments of the DPS entities were auctioned by the FDIC and purchased by an investment group. Unable to reach a satisfactory resolution with the noteholders, he and his family were unfortunately forced to exit the business.

Undaunted, David’s passion for the industry remains as strong as ever. He founded Dairy Performance Solutions as a means to continue to convert his passion for the industry into opportunities to share his wealth of knowledge and experience with those who like him, believe that every day offers an opportunity to do more, to do better, and to serve others.

David’s consulting travels have taken him to dairies in the U.S., Chile, Argentina, Brazil, and Russia, as well as contract work with dairies in Qatar, Indonesia, and Africa through his association with Farmdamentals.

David lives in Crystal Springs, MS, and he and his wife Jamie have three grown children and eight grandchildren.