Michael Roberts, president of the Food Products Business of Perdue Farms, Inc., Salisbury, Maryland, was installed today as Chairman of the National Chicken Council, the trade association for the chicken production and processing industry. Thomas Hensley, Jr., president of Fieldale Farms, Baldwin, Georgia, took office as Vice Chairman, and Bernard Leonard, group vice president/Food Service, Tyson Foods, Inc., Springdale, Arkansas, became Secretary-Treasurer.
The new officers were installed during the NCC Annual Conference held in Washington, D.C., and attended by members of the industry from across the country. Officers serve one-year terms.
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| Michael Roberts Chairman Download Hi-Rez Image |
Thomas Hensley, Jr. Vice Chairman Download Hi-Rez Image |
Bernard Leonard Secretary-Treasurer Download Hi-Rez Image |
Roberts moved up to chairman from vice chairman. He has been a member of the NCC Board of Directors representing Perdue Farms for three years and has served on the NCC Executive Committee.
Roberts has been head of the Food Products Business at Perdue Farms since 2005 and was previously president and general manager of the Retail Division. He has been in the poultry industry since 1972 and joined Perdue in 2002 after serving in senior positions at several other poultry companies. Roberts served on the NCC Board from 1996 to 1998 as a representative of Foster Farms, Livingston, California. He is a former member of the board of the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association, based in Tucker, Georgia.
Roberts and his wife, Breda, live in Salisbury, Maryland. They have two daughters and two granddaughters in Atlanta, Georgia.
Hensley has served on the NCC Board since October 2001 and has worked for Fieldale Farms for 32 years. He became president of Fieldale following the death of Joe Hatfield earlier this year.
Hensley is also a member of the board of directors of Fieldale Farms. He has been involved in a wide variety of civic, business, and professional organizations, including Salvation Army and the United Way.
Leonard joined Tyson Foods in 1998 when Tyson acquired Hudson Foods, where he was vice president of broiler sales and operations. With Tyson, he became vice president of operations, then moved into sales and operations as vice president and senior vice president, and became head of Food Service in November 2006. Having begun his career in the poultry industry in 1975, Leonard has served in various positions with industry associations. He is a former member of the board and executive committee of the Alabama Poultry & Egg Association. He spent 12 years on the board of the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association, serving as an officer for four years culminating with his being Chairman in 1999. He joined the NCC Board of Directors in June 2007 and was elected to the Executive Committee in February of this year.
Leonard and his wife, Pamela, live in Lowell, Arkansas.
George Watts of Alexandria, Virginia, was elected to another term as president of NCC, a post he has held since 1972.
The National Chicken Council represents integrated chicken producer-processors, the companies that produce, process and market chickens. Member companies of NCC account for approximately 95 percent of the chicken sold in the United States.
