Aviagen, Inc. has named Keith Lewis, a 25-year veteran of the poultry and food processing industry, as the company's new vice president of finance.

Lewis is responsible for directing the company's finance and accounting functions including cost accounting, financial reporting, purchasing, and treasury.

''With his long track record of success in the poultry business, Keith is a valuable addition to our management team at a time when we must balance our plans for continuous growth with the realities of a diverse and often challenging global economy,'' said Ben Thompson, president of Aviagen, Inc. ''We welcome Keith to the Aviagen family.''

''I'm delighted to join Aviagen, and I look forward to drawing on my experiences in the poultry and food industry to help manage the company's financial future as we expand our business,'' said Lewis.

Lewis comes to Aviagen, Inc. after serving for the past year as CEO and CFO of the Huntsville start-up SSS Optical Technologies.  Previously, he held a variety of executive posts at Keystone Foods, LLC, a global food processing and distribution business. As senior vice president of Keystone Foods' US poultry division, Lewis oversaw their US poultry business while executing a plan to expand the unit's national/industrial sales focus.

As vice president and controller at Keystone Food's poultry division, Lewis managed the financial, information technology, and human resources functions.  He also worked with the Keystone management team on several acquisitions which helped expand the business and create opportunities for growth. Lewis began his tenure at Keystone Foods in 1996 as a controller in the poultry group.

Previously, he held an array of financial management positions at Perdue Farms in Salisbury, Md., and at Mercantile Bank & Trust in Baltimore. Lewis holds an MBA from Salisbury University and a Bachelor's degree in finance from the University of Florida.