Past President Inducted into NPPC Hall of Fame
Donna Reifschneider, a pork producer from Smithton, IL, was inducted in the National Pork Producers Council Hall of Fame, in recognition of her years of service and leadership in the industry.
Reifschneider was elected the first female president of NPPC in 1998 and helped the U.S. pork industry recover from the disastrous hog markets of ’98-’99. In addition to initiating an industry recovery plan, she was actively involved in the pseudorabies eradication program and worked to expand pork export markets.
In addition to her service to NPPC, Reifschneider served on the executive committee of the U.S. Meat Export Federation from 1999-2002 and in 2002 was named administrator of the USDA Grain Inspection, Packers & Stockyards Administration. She left the agency in 2002 to return to the family’s farm in Illinois.
“Donna Reifschneider was a pioneer for women in the pork industry and led it through some trying times,” noted Jill Appell, NPPC president. “She has been a friend and mentor, and for her wisdom, leadership, vision and strength, she has been inducted into the NPPC Hall of Fame.”
Iowa State Veterinarian Honored
With Distinguished Service Award
Pork Checkoff honored James McKean, DVM, and professor at Iowa State University, Ames, IA with its Distinguished Service award during Pork Industry Forum festivities. McKean, an Extension veterinarian also serves as associate director of the Iowa Pork Industry Center, was recognized for his lifelong contributions to the pork industry.
“Jim is an exceptional player in the pork industry,” said Lynn Harrison, National Pork Board president. "He is a person that is dedicated to the industry as a whole, dedicated to the local producers and dedicated to the local community. He has participated in several of the National Pork Board programs that have been developed and he really has helped advance the industry."
McKean is most notably known for his work in disease control and eradication programs. He was a pivotal player in the eradication of pseudorabies in Iowa and the United States. McKean has authored many peer-reviewed articles on subjects ranging from mycoplasmal pneumonia, to coronavirus antibodies, to campylobacter enterocolitis and salmonella infections.
“Jim certainly has a passion for the industry, and it’s also very evident that whenever Jim is in a meeting, there is a level of passion for the producer, for the farm, and for the veterinarian that works on the farm,” added Paul Sundberg, vice president of science and technology at the National Pork Board.
New NPPC Officers, Board Members Elected
Ohio pork producer Bryan Black from Canal Winchester was elected president of the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) during the organization’s annual meeting.
Black, as member of the NPPC board of directors the past five years, is involved in a 300-sow, 500-acre farming operation, has been active in his state’s Farm Bureau and soybean council. He will serve a one-year term as president.
Don Butler, director of government relations and public affairs for Murphy-Brown, LLC, Warsaw, NC, will serve as president-elect for the coming year.
Iowa pork producer Sam Carney from Adair was elected vice president. He is owner-operator of Carney Farms, Inc., which markets 6,000 hogs annually. Carney has served in various pork industry leadership positions over the past 20 years, including a term as president of the Iowa Pork Producers Association.
In addition, the following will serve on the NPPC board of directors: Kathy Chinn, Clarence, MO; Bob Dykhuis, Holland, MI; R.C. Hunt, Wilson, NC; Larry Liepold, Okabena, MN; Randy Spronk, Edgerton, MN; Doug Wolf, Lancaster, WI; and Todd Neff, Dakota Dunes, SD (Pork Producer Industry Council representative). Jill Appell, Altona, IL, will serve as immediate past president.
Producers C. Ray Noecker, OH; E. Ray Summerlin, Jr., Rose Hill, NC; and Todd Wiley, Walker, IA, were elected to the NPPC Nominating Committee, which reviews the credentials of candidates for the organization’s board of directors.