New Chairman for USAPEEC
US - Don Ellen, director of export sales for Sanderson Farms in Laurel, Mississippi, has been elected chairman of the board of the USA Poultry & Egg Export Council (USAPEEC) for 2009-10.
24 June 2009
4 minute read
With the official gavel misplaced, new USAPEEC Chairman, Don Ellen (right) accepts a substitute instrument provided by the hotel from outgoing Chairman, Saher Rizk.
The election Don Ellen as Chairman came during USAPEEC's 20th annual executive conference and membership meeting in Key Biscayne last week. He succeeds Saher Rizk, managing director of Mirasco, an Atlanta-based poultry export trading company.
As chairman, Mr Ellen will head the eight-member USAPEEC Executive Committee, which sets policy and gives direction to USAPEEC, an organisation whose mission is to promote and increase exports of US chicken, turkey, duck and egg products worldwide.
Mr Rizk directs Mirasco, which his father, an immigrant from Egypt, founded more than 30 years ago. The company exports US poultry products and other commodities to numerous countries around he world.
USAPEEC members also elected Butch Johnson of Atlanta, vice president of international sales at Pilgrim's Pride, as first vice chairman of the board, and Röel Andriessen of Dakota Dunes, South Dakota, senior vice president of international sales of Tyson Foods, as second vice chairman.
Jim Hoben, vice president-poultry at Interra International, an Atlanta trading company, was elected to continue serving as secretary-treasurer of the organization. Hoben is a former two-time chairman of USAPEEC.
Mike Little, international sales manager Mountaire Farms in Selbyville, Del., was elected chairman of USAPEEC's Market Development Committee, replacing Thierry Murad of AJC International. The chairman of this committee also serves on the board and has a seat on the executive committee.
Rounding out the Executive Committee are Murad and Joel Coleman of Butterball LLC as at-large members. Rizk will remain on the USAPEEC executive committee as past chairman.
Following is the full slate of USAPEEC board members for 2009-2010. In addition to Hoben and Johnson, directors with three-year terms ending in 2010 are Kent Puffenbarger, Prestage Foods; Nick Stams, Keystone Foods; Jayson Penn, Case Farms; Greg Meyer, Farbest Foods; and Rick Schaulis, Cargill Value-Added Meats.
Directors with three-year terms ending in 2011 are Mark Barrett, Lamex Foods; Neil Carey, Simmons Foods; Shea Carr, OK Foods; Ilona Kogan, Globex International; Mike Little, Mountaire Farms; Thierry Murad, AJC International; Ron Vilas, Vilas & Co.; and Chaz Wilson, Grove Services.
In addition to Andriessen, Coleman, Rizk and Ellen, board members with terms ending in 2012 are David Radlo, Radlo Foods; Jay Maxwell, Jennie-O Turkey Store; Jim Wayt, Intervision Foods; Mark Blanchard, NOCS; and Jennifer Leyden, Metafoods LLC.
Members re-appointed annually to the board are Todd Barlow, Kentucky Corn Board; Leah Beyer, Indiana Corn Marketing Council; Victor Bohaslavsky, Nebraska Soybean Board; Lauren Christensen, United Soybean Board; Pat Dumoulin, Illinois Soybean Association; Debbie Ellis, Kentucky Soybean Board; Don Hutchens, Nebraska Corn Board; Donna Jeschke, Illinois Corn Marketing Board; Kenlon Johannes, Kansas Soybean Commission; Brian Kreps, Corn Marketing Board of Michigan; Karen Long, Iowa Soybean Association; Monica McCranie, South Dakota Soybean Board; Kirk Merritt, Ohio Soybean Council; and Doug Morrow, Indiana Soybean Alliance.
