Members of the American Feed Industry Association's Board of Directors met May 9-10, in Washington, D.C., to discuss priority issues affecting the animal food industry. The Board, comprised of 50 industry representatives, took up the issues with various legislators during the association's annual spring visit to the nation's capital.
Board members promoted AFIA positions on the Food Safety Modernization Act, the Veterinary Feed Directive, the animal food ingredient review process, international trade policy as it relates to the U.S. animal food industry and drug establishment registration. The group also attended a legislative briefing on Capitol Hill during the trip.
In the briefing, the group was addressed by Sen. Joni Ernst, R - Iowa, Food and Drug Administration Center for Veterinary Medicine Director Dr. Steve Solomon, and a panel comprised of members of the Senate agriculture committee and the House agriculture committee.
Members of the American Feed Industry Association's Board of Directors met May 9-10, in Washington, D.C., to discuss priority issues affecting the animal food industry. The Board, comprised of 50 industry representatives, took up the issues with various legislators during the association's annual spring visit to the nation's capital.
Board members promoted AFIA positions on the Food Safety Modernization Act, the Veterinary Feed Directive, the animal food ingredient review process, international trade policy as it relates to the U.S. animal food industry and drug establishment registration. The group also attended a legislative briefing on Capitol Hill during the trip.
In the briefing, the group was addressed by Sen. Joni Ernst, R - Iowa, Food and Drug Administration Center for Veterinary Medicine Director Dr. Steve Solomon, and a panel comprised of members of the Senate agriculture committee and the House agriculture committee.
"We have a very engaged administration. The vice president meets with the Republican leadership every Tuesday," said Ernst during her talk about trade. "I will push hard to make sure agriculture is at the table during trade discussions."
AFIA's Board met to recognize Paul Phillips, Maxi-Lift Inc./Southwest Agri-Plastics Inc., for his leadership as the association's chair during the 2016-17 year, welcome his successor, Lee Hall, Hallway Feeds, and announce its Chair-elect and incoming directors, and elect new members to the organization's executive committee.
"Paul has been an invaluable addition to the AFIA Board of Directors and an outstanding chairman," said AFIA President and CEO Joel G. Newman. "He was instrumental as a founding member of IFEEDER's Board of Trustees, and he will continue to be an asset to the U.S. feed industry."
"Lee has been heavily involved in AFIA, and we are confident he will foster progress in the upcoming year as chairman," Newman said.
Hall is in his second three-year term on the Board, taking a year off between the two terms. Hallway Feeds is a family-owned and operated company dedicated to the horse industry and has been an AFIA member since 1986. Hall is vice president of Hallway Feeds in Lexington, Ky. Hall's one-year term as chair is effective as of May 1.
The Board voted to accept the nomination of Bruce Crutcher, Micronutrients USA LLC, to become Chair-elect of the organization. Crutcher will succeed Hall in May 2018.
The following individuals were elected to three-year terms on the AFIA Board and began their service during the meeting: Mitch Anderson, PerforMix Nutritional Systems, LLC; Rob Brock, Westway Feed Products, LLC; Timothy Claver, Ardent Mills; Bruce Crutcher, Micronutrients USA LLC; Robert Daugherty, Triple Crown Nutrition, Inc.; Eduardo Galo, Novus International, Inc.; Jason Hoekstra, Smithfield Hog Productions; Christian Nitschke, BASF Corporation; Lisa Norton, Biozyme Incorporated; Lars Reimann, Eurofins Scientific, Inc.; Doug Rupp, Pharmgate Animal Health LLC; Michael Schuster, Laidig Systems, Inc; Haley Stomp, Kemin Industries, Inc.; Jason Vickers, Mars Petcare US; Wesley Wilson, Ag Provision; and Amy Witte, DuPont.
The six nominated individuals chosen as additions to AFIA's Executive Committee were approved. They are Eric Arnold, Bill Barr & Company, Inc.; Frank Goode, ILC Resources; Phil Greene, Foster Farms, Inc.; Jonathan Griffin, Balchem Corporation; Mike Van Koevering, Elanco Animal Health; and Russ Wylie, Zinpro Corporation.
Phillips was elected chair, and Dean Warras, Phibro Animal Health, was elected vice-chair of the Institute for Feed Education & Research. AFIA's Board of Directors elected Mark Leuking, Cargill Animal Nutrition, as a new trustee to the IFEEDER Board of Trustees. His term will expire April 2020.
IFEEDER was created by AFIA in 2006 to address the education and research challenges the U.S. food and feed production industries will face in the next 40 years and beyond, as the world's population grows by almost 2.5 billion people.