A search committee has been formed to start the process of finding a replacement for John Starkey, retiring president of the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association (USPOULTRY). The search committee consists of the USPOULTRY Executive Committee, which includes Jarod Morrison, chief financial officer for Farbest Foods and USPOULTRY chairman; Mikell Fries, president for Claxton Poultry Farms and USPOULTRY vice chairman; Jonathan Cade, president for Hy-Line International and USPOULTRY treasurer; and Bill Griffith, chief operations officer for Peco Foods and USPOULTRY secretary. Mike Levengood, vice president, Chief Animal Care Officer and Farmer Relationship Advocate for Perdue Farms and past USPOULTRY chairman, will serve as the search committee chairman.

Joining the Executive Committee in the search will be Sherman Miller, president and chief executive officer for Cal-Maine Foods; Tom Hensley, president for Fieldale Farms; and John Prestage, senior vice president for Prestage Farms. All of these are both current USPOULTRY board members and past chairmen of the Association.

The search committee will manage the recruitment and assessment of candidates, as well as conduct interviews internally and externally this spring. The committee intends to complete the search by summer. Further inquiries may be directed to president@uspoultry.org.