Velvet Ice Cream President recognized as 2012 Women of Influence

March 15, 2012 - PRLog -- Velvet Ice Cream President Luconda Dager was recently named as a 2012 Women of Influence in the Food Industry by the respected food industry trade publication, The Griffin Report.  Dager is among 54 women honored for their work as dynamic leaders in the food industry.  The annual Women of Influence designation is bestowed on highly visible industry contributors who demonstrate professionalism and gain awareness for the potential of women in the food industry.  The Griffin Report considers such qualities as philanthropy, leadership, expertise and dedication when selecting which industry leaders will be honored.

Luconda Dager has served as President of Velvet Ice Cream since 2009, having joined the family business in 1994.  Her leadership and community involvement stood out and were major factors in selection for the influential listing. True to form, Dager gives credit to her family.  She works closely with sisters Andre Dager (Vice President of Guest Relations) and Joanne Dager (Vice President of Food Services) in guiding the company.

Leading Velvet Ice Cream sales and marketing strategies, Luconda Dager also works closely with Velvet's major grocery accounts, Kroger, Meijer and Giant Eagle.  A former Ohio Grocers Association board member, Dager currently is a member of the board of directors for the Midwest Dairy Foods Association. She is an active member of the central Ohio community, serving as a board member for Licking County Chamber of Commerce, Knox County Convention & Visitors Bureau, The Works historical museum and learning center and as a trustee for the Utica-based Hervey Memorial Library.  Dager and her husband, Bill, live in Mount Vernon with their 8-year-old daughter Lauren.

Velvet Ice Cream is located in Utica, Ohio, situated on the perfect combination of wooded countryside and rolling, pastoral farmland.  A family-owned and operated business for nearly 100 years, Joseph Dager founded Velvet Ice Cream 1914 and four generations of Dagers have since run the company.  Velvet produces more than five million gallons of ice cream every year from its headquarters on the 25-acre grounds of Ye Olde Mill.  Ye Olde Mill also houses an ice cream and milling museum, a restaurant, playground, picnic area and catch-and-release fish pond.  Named by Frommer's as one of America’s 10 Best Ice Cream Factory Tours, Velvet's Ye Olde Mill welcomes 150,000 visitors each year for tours, tastings and events.  The annual Ice Cream Festival (May 26-28, 2012), group tour experiences and school learning field trips are among the many draws to Ye Olde Mill, which is open to the public May 1-Sept. 1.

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