Aviagen  has announced that Kelly Wheeler, the company's export manager, has been elected vice president of the Animal Transportation Association (ATA), a non-profit international organisation devoted to the safe handling and transportation of all animals worldwide.

Wheeler, whose election by ATA's board of directors was announced last month at the association 36th annual conference, has been a member of ATA for five years and a director for the past three. As vice president, he will serve as part of ATA's executive committee and will participate in managing ATA operations, budget and promotion. Wheeler will also represent ATA at various conferences and will chair the association's next conference in Brussels, Belgium.

''As one who has spent years dealing with the successful transportation of poultry worldwide, I've witnessed firsthand ATA's role in ensuring that animals of all kinds are treated safely and with care during transport,'' said Wheeler, a poultry industry veteran who has spent the past 17 years at Aviagen. ''On behalf of Aviagen and others in the food production field, I'm honoured to have been elected to this important post, and I'll work hard to ensure that ATA continues to fulfill its mission.''

"ATA plays such an important role in the international community to ensure that best practices are promoted and communicated in the world of animal transport regardless of species or mode of transport,'' said Lisa Schoppa, PetSafe Manager for Continental Airlines and past president of ATA. ''Aviagen has been a huge supporter of ATA and is a world leader in the movement of chicks, poults and eggs, and we are proud to have Kelly Wheeler take such a prominent role in the future of ATA. The future of safe animal transport continues to look bright and we are grateful to Aviagen for their continued support of our organisation."