November 3, 2017

 

US National Chicken Council installs new chairman

 

 

The US National Chicken Council (NCC) on Thursday, Nov. 2, installed a new chairman during its 63rd Annual Conference in Washington, D.C.

 

Ben Harrison, president and chief executive officer of Amick Farms, LLC (Batesburg, South Carolina and Hurlock, Maryland), will serve a one-year term. 

 

Harrison graduated with a degree in financial management from Clemson University in 1990. He worked for Ernst and Young as a junior auditor and then joined Amick Farms in 1991, working in various capacities until he became president in 2004.

 

Harrison is active in the poultry industry and agricultural associations, currently serving on the board of directors at NCC and the US Poultry & Egg Association. 

 

Serving as vice chairman for 2017-2018 is Mark Kaminsky, chief operating officer at Koch Foods (Park Ridge, Illinois). Kaminsky started his career at Arthur Andersen after receiving his bachelor's degree in accounting at DePaul University. 

 

President Mike Brown on 6th term

 

He began his career with Koch Foods in 1990 and has assisted in Koch's growth from a one-plant operation to one of the leading poultry companies in the US, through acquisitions, green field site developments and internal expansion.

 

Also new to the officers' team is Clint Rivers, president and CEO of Wayne Farms LLC (Oakwood, Georgia), who takes over as secretary-treasurer. He joined Wayne Farms in October 2012 as vice president and general manager of the fresh business unit. In 2014, he was promoted to chief operating officer and, in 2017, to president and CEO. 

 

In addition to the three new officers, Mike Brown, of Vienna, Virginia, was elected to a sixth term as president of NCC.

 

"I want to personally thank Immediate Past Chairman Mike Popowycz for the leadership and stewardship he displayed at the council during his chairmanship", Brown said. "I look forward to leaning on the vast knowledge of Ben, Mark, and Clint to help guide our organisation and the industry in the coming year."

 

Officers serve one-year terms.