WASHINGTON, D.C. – Ben Harrison, President and Chief Executive Officer of Amick Farms, LLC (Batesburg, South Carolina and Hurlock, Maryland), was installed as 2017-2018 chairman of the National Chicken Council (NCC) during NCC’s 63nd Annual Conference held today in Washington, D.C.
Harrison received his degree in Financial Management in 1990 from Clemson University and worked for Ernst and Young as a junior auditor before joining Amick Farms. He has been employed at Amick Farms since 1991, working in various capacities throughout the company 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 U.S. Poultry & Egg Association. He also served on the local school board from 2000 – 2012.
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. He began his career with Koch Foods in 1990 on the financial side of the business but learned the operational side, including live processing through Koch’s move to become a vertically integrated poultry company in 1996. He has assisted in Koch’s growth from a one-plant operation to one of the leading poultry companies in the United States, through acquisitions, green field site developments and internal expansion.
New to the officer team, Clint Rivers, President and Chief Executive Officer of Wayne Farms LLC (Oakwood, Georgia), takes over as Secretary-Treasurer.
Rivers 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, promoted to President and Chief Executive Officer. Prior to joining Wayne Farms, Rivers served as President of Foodservice and Supply Chain with Perdue Farms. In addition to the 6 years he spent with Perdue Farms, he worked 21 years with Pilgrim’s Pride where he held positions of increasing responsibility including the positions of Chief Operating Officer, and President and CEO. Rivers first began his career in the industry with Golden West Foods in Bedford, Virginia as a Quality Assurance Foreman. He holds a degree in Animal Science from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.
Officers serve one-year terms.
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 organization and the industry in the coming year.”
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For a picture of Ben Harrison, click here.
