The Pork Checkoff is implementing their new strategic plan now that the new year is underway. The plan will set the course for the industry for the next five years. National Pork Board President Dale Norton says a new chief executive officer will oversee the process but the new CEO isn’t yet in place following the departure late last year of Chris Novak who is now in a similar role with the National Corn Growers Association.
“Since he left we have formed a search committee and we have hired a search firm. We have done a number of interviews. We mentioned the strategic plan and I think it is very beneficial to a new CEO that we have completed a strategic plan so he or she has a framework to work with starting out instead of not being quite sure of what the focus should be.”
Norton says one Pork Checkoff priority is that very transition to a new CEO.
“Obviously a big goal is to integrate the new CEO into not only the pork industry but to orientate to staff, the board, and producers. It’s a multifaceted job and it is a complicated job, so in the next several months hopefully that orientation will take place and everybody will be comfortable with who we have selected. That will be a big part of the next several months.”
For more information, producers can contact the Pork Checkoff Service Center at www.pork.org or call 800-456-PORK.