Terry Wehrkamp, director of live production, Cooper Farms, is now chairperson of The Animal Agriculture Alliance Board of Directors. Cooper Farms has been a member of the Alliance for more than ten years and Wehrkamp has served on the board since 2014. Wehrkamp accepted the gavel at the spring board meeting earlier this month from immediate past chairperson Sherrie Webb, director of animal welfare for the National Pork Board.
As director of live production, Wehrkamp manages the teams caring for the company’s turkeys, hogs and chickens and its feed production. A well-respected industry leader, Wehrkamp was inducted into The Ohio State University Department of Animal Sciences Hall of Fame in December 2015 and was awarded the College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Distinguished Alumni Award in 2010.
At the same meeting, the board elected Sarah Novak of the American Feed Industry Association as its chair-elect for a two-year term beginning in May 2019. AFIA, one of the founders of the Alliance, has remained a member of the organization for its entire 30-year history. Novak joined the Alliance board in 2009. Novak is the American Feed Industry Association’s vice president of membership and public relations. Prior to joining AFIA, Novak was Director of Membership for the U.S. Grains Council and has industry experience from her employment with Vita Plus and Milk Specialties. Novak joined AFIA in 2007 and holds a Bachelor’s degree in animal science and a Master’s degree in Communications from the University of Wisconsin.
“The Alliance is very appreciative to Sherrie Webb for two years of supportive, innovative leadership,” said Kay Johnson Smith, Alliance president and CEO. “We are excited to work with Terry as our new chair and Sarah as our chair-elect. They both possess clear passion for animal agriculture, and I know their guidance will help take the Alliance’s efforts to new heights.
The Alliance also announced two new members of its Executive Committee: Dallas Hockman, vice president of industry relations, National Pork Producers Council and Derek Yancey, president, Morning Fresh Farms.
These announcements were made earlier this month at the Alliance’s spring board meeting, held in conjunction with the 2017 Stakeholders Summit. The Summit, themed “Connect to Protect Animal Agriculture: #ActionPlease2017” attracted a record-setting crowd of 276 to Kansas City. Recorded sessions are available to view at agtoday.
