Home
Ahlem to Receive 'American Dream' Award
TURLOCK, CA (April 23, 2002) - William "Bill" Ahlem of Hilmar Covenant Church
in Hilmar will be the keynote speaker and award recipient at the Spring
2002 California State University-Stanislaus "Champions of the American
Dream" event tomorrow at the school's Union Event Center.
Ahlem is the eighth person to receive the "Champion of the American Dream"
award. He is owner of Ahlem Farms in Hilmar, which has one of the largest
Jersey dairy cowherds in the United States. A Hilmar native, he is a
third-generation member of the Ahlem family that started farming in the
Turlock area in 1902.
In 1984, Ahlem joined 11 other Jersey dairymen in the region to found
Hilmar Cheese Company as a marketing effort for the quality milk produced
by their herds. The company quickly grew and is now the largest cheese and
whey plant in the world. Ahlem is currently the company's vice chairman.
"I am honored as well as humbled to be the recipient of this award," Ahlem
said. "When I look around me, I realize I would not be where I am if it
were not for the people who have championed me and supported me along the
way. I've always been a strong believer that we are able to create our own
destiny in many respects, but I measure my success by
those who have served around me."
Ahlem has developed a reputation for his community service leadership and
involvement with agriculture industry support organizations. He served as
president of the CSU Stanislaus Foundation Board of Trustees in 1998-99 and
has been a member since 1995. He served on the Emanuel Medical Center Board
and Hilmar School District Board of Trustees. Ahlem is a board member for
notable dairy organizations, including the National Dairy Board, the
Secretary of Dairy Management, Inc., the California Dairy Research
Foundation and Western United Dairymen. He is a past board member of the
American Farm Bureau Federation and California Farm Bureau.
Outside of his professional activities, Ahlem is on the Hilmar Unified
School District Board of Trustees and has served as chair in the past. He
also served as chair for the Evangelical Covenant Church Board of
Benevolence.
For more about Ahlem and the award event, check the news and publications
link at www.csustan.edu, the web site for California State-Stanislaus.
Copyright © 2008 The Evangelical Covenant Church. |
