From www.pork.org:

Pork Act Delegates Elect Candidate Slate, Approve Advisements

DES MOINES – March 10, 2016 – The pork industry held its annual business meeting, the National Pork Industry Forum, March 3-5 in Indianapolis. At the meeting, Pork Act Delegates ranked eight candidates for the National Pork Board and submitted the list to the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture. The candidates, ranked in order, are:

• Jan Archer, North Carolina
• Terry O’Neel, Nebraska
• Alicia Pedemonti, New Hampshire
• Gene Noem, Iowa
• Mike Skahill, Virginia
• Heather Hill, Indiana
• Scott Phillips, Missouri
• Brent Scholl, Illinois

The U.S. Secretary of Agriculture will select five members from the slate elected by the delegates to fill the roles of outgoing board members effective July 2016. The nominees will serve three-year terms. There are 15 pork producers on the board, each limited in serving no more than two terms.

The National Pork Board has responsibility for Checkoff-funded research, promotion and consumer information projects and for communicating with pork producers and the public. Through a legislative national Pork Checkoff, pork producers invest $0.40 for each $100 value of hogs sold. Importers of pork products contribute a like amount, based on a formula. The Pork Checkoff funds national and state programs in advertising, consumer information, retail and foodservice marketing, export market promotion, production improvement, science and technology, swine health, pork safety and sustainability and environmental management.

For information on Checkoff-funded programs, pork producers can call the Pork Checkoff Service Center at (800) 456-7675 or check the Internet at www.pork.org.