Thomas M. Hensley, Jr., president of Fieldale Farms Corporation of Baldwin, Georgia, has been installed as Chairman of the National Chicken Council, the trade association for the chicken production and processing industry.

Bernard Leonard, group vice president/Food Service, Tyson Foods, Inc., Springdale, Arkansas, took office as Vice Chairman, and Lampkin Butts, president of Sanderson Farms, Laurel, Mississippi, became Secretary-Treasurer.

The new officers were installed during the NCC Annual Conference held in Washington, D.C., and attended by members of the industry from across the country. Officers serve one-year terms.

from left to right: Thomas M. Hensley, Jr. (chairman); Bernard Leonard (vice chairman); and Lampkin Butts (secretary-treasurer)

Mr Hensley moved up to chairman from vice chairman. He has served on the NCC Board since October 2001 and has worked for Fieldale Farms for 33 years, becoming president in 2008.

Mr Hensley is also a member of the board of directors of Fieldale Farms. He has been involved in a wide variety of civic, business, and professional organizations, including Salvation Army and the United Way.

Mr Leonard joined Tyson Foods in 1998 when Tyson acquired Hudson Foods, where he was vice president of broiler sales and operations. With Tyson, he became vice president of operations, then moved into sales and operations as vice president and senior vice president, and became head of Food Service in November 2006. Since beginning his career in the poultry industry in 1975, Leonard has served in various positions with industry associations. He is a former member of the board and executive committee of the Alabama Poultry & Egg Association. He spent 12 years on the board of the US Poultry & Egg Association, serving as an officer for four years culminating with a term as chairman in 1999. He joined the NCC Board of Directors in June 2007 and was elected to the Executive Committee in February 2008.

Mr Butts graduated from the University of Mississippi in 1973 and began his career with Sanderson Farms the same year. He worked in the company's management training programme and held positions of processing division manager, director of processing and sales, and vice-president, sales, before being elected to the board of directors in 1998. He became president and chief operating officer in 2004.

Mr Butts has served on the NCC board since 2004 and has also served on the boards of the US Poultry & Egg Association and the Mississippi Poultry Association.

George Watts of Alexandria, Virginia, was elected to another term as President of NCC, a post he has held since 1972.