Five Meat Industry Leaders Elected to Serve on American Meat Institute Board of Directors

Five new members of the AMI Board of Directors were elected during AMI’s Annual Business Meeting held during the Worldwide Food Expo, Oct. 24-27, at McCormick Place in Chicago, Ill. The new members will serve a three year term, ending December, 2010.

The new members of AMI’s Board of Directors include:
• Wesley Batista, president and CEO, JBS Swift & Company
• Brian Nilsson, Co-CEO, XL Foods Inc.
• Larry Pope, president and CEO, Smithfield Foods, Inc.
• Bill Rupp, president, Cargill Meat Solutions Corporation
• Mike Townsley, executive vice president, Food Products Division, Bob Evans Farms, Inc.

In addition to serving on the Board of Directors, Batista, Pope and Rupp were also elected to the Institute’s Executive Committee to serve a one-year term.

“This group of fine individuals brings both experience and new ideas to AMI’s Board,” said AMI President and CEO J. Patrick Boyle. “I look forward to working with them in the coming year and know they will provide valuable leadership as the industry works to overcome new challenges and seize new opportunities.”

AMI represents the interests of packers and processors of beef, pork, lamb, veal and turkey products and their suppliers throughout North America. Together, AMI’s members produce 95 percent of the beef, pork, lamb and veal products and 70 percent of the turkey products in the United States. The Institute provides legislative, regulatory, public relations, technical, scientific and educational services to the meat and poultry packing and processing industry.