Chaz Wilson, head of international sales for Pilgrim’s USA in Greeley, Colo., was re-elected chairman of the board of the USA Poultry & Egg Export Council (USAPEEC) for 2021-22 during the 2021 USAPEEC Annual Meeting in Nashville.
Wilson, who has served on the board of directors since 1998, will head the board, which sets policy and provides direction to USAPEEC, an organization whose mission is to promote and increase exports of U.S. chicken, turkey, duck, and egg products worldwide.
Wilson along with the entire executive committee was reelected by the membership due to the extraordinary circumstances caused by the global pandemic which prevented them from serving out their terms under normal circumstances. The only exception was past chairman Mark Barrett who had already fulfilled his six-year rotation through the executive committee.
Newly elected to the executive committee as the third member-at-large was Dr. Jianlin Si, Tyson Foods.
Members of the USAPEEC executive committee who were re-elected, in addition to Wilson: Paul Sauder, Sauder’s Eggs, first vice chairman; John Patchoski, Koch Foods, second vice chairman; Joel Coleman, Butterball, secretary-treasurer; Thomas Isaf, Interra International, member-at-large; Martin Piffaretti, FoodLink Group, member-at-large; Jim Henderson, Lineage Logistics, associate member-at-large; and Mike Beard, Indiana Corn Marketing Council, commodity member at large.
Oleg Kovalev, of Mountaire Farms, will continue as chairman of USAPEEC’s market advisory committee and will serve on the board and have a seat on the executive committee. Gary Clay of Crider Foods will serve as vice-chairman of the market advisory committee.
In another action, members of the board of directors whose terms were to expire in 2021 were reelected to a new term ending in 2024. They are: Kathy Cline, Cooper Farms; Joel Coleman, Butterball; Eric Essig, Maple Leaf Farms; Eduardo Gonzales, Mirasco; Jim Henderson, Lineage Logistics; Greg Hinton, Rose Acre Farms; Jennifer Leyden, MetaFoods; John Patchoski, Koch Foods; Martin Piffaretti, FoodLink Group; Dr. Jianlin Si, Tyson Foods; and Andrew Szymanski, Sanderson Farms.
Said Wilson: “It is truly an honor to have the opportunity to serve as chairman of USAPEEC for another term. This organization plays an invaluable role in promoting the growth of U.S. poultry and egg exports worldwide. Thanks to the tremendous efforts of the staff, I know that USAPEEC will continue to do so in the year to come, just as it has in the past.”
