The National Pork Producers Council this week announced it has selected a new slate of officers for 2013-14 at NPPC's annual business meeting – the National Pork Industry Forum – held March 8-9 in Orlando, Fla.
Sponk elevated to President
Randy Spronk, a pork producer from Edgerton, Minn., was elevated to the post of president for the National Pork Producers Council. He was elected for a one-year term.
Spronk is the managing partner for two family farm enterprises: Spronk Brothers III LLP is involved in pork production, and Ranger Farms LLP is involved in crop production. The pork production enterprise markets 120,000 head annually. Spronk and his partners also raise corn and soybeans on 2,000 acres.
Randy Spronk will lead the NPPC in the coming year as President.
Spronk has served on the NPPC board of directors for the past five years; he is chairman of the organization's Environmental Policy Committee. He has been involved with the Minnesota Pork Producers Association, serving as president in 1999, and with the Minnesota Soybean Association. He holds a degree in animal science from South Dakota State University.
"Randy has been a strong leader in the U.S. pork industry and brings that leadership and knowledge of pork industry issues, particularly environmental ones, to his new position as president of NPPC," said NPPC CEO Neil Dierks. "He is a valuable asset to U.S. pork producers."
Hill elected NPPC President-Elect
Dr. Howard Hill, a pork producer and veterinarian from Cambridge, Iowa, was elected to the post of president-elect for the National Pork Producers Council.
Hill is the director of animal well-being for Iowa Select Farms, an Iowa-based pork production company. He has been with Iowa Select since 2000, when he joined the company as director of production. In 2001, he was promoted to chief operating officer, continuing in that role until 2009.
His pork production business, H&K Enterprises, includes hogs and cattle, and Hill and his son farm 2,600 acres of corn, soybeans and alfalfa.
A native of southern California, Hill earned his bachelor's and doctorate of veterinary medicine (DVM) degrees from the University of California-Davis. After graduation, he was a mixed animal practitioner in southern California for a year and a half. Hill received his Master's degree and PhD. in veterinary microbiology from Iowa State University.