The Evolution of Swine Management Services | Mark Rix, Ron Ketchem, and Nicole Boettger
September 26, 2024
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Patrick Fleming is the vice president of demand development for National Pork Board. Fleming leads the marketing and domestic demand team on a revolutionary, data-driven approach to make pork more relevant to more Americans. His return to NPB coincides with the culmination of an 18-month effort funded by the Pork Checkoff to develop and deploy new consumer market research and insights across the pork industry.
Wesley Lack – Pork Regional Business Director for Zoetis.
Wes started with Zoetis in November of 2022 as Area Business Manager on the beef team in Iowa. In June he was promoted to his new role as Pork Regional Business Director leading the US pork team.
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Greg Hastings serves as the Senior Director of Commercial Excellence & Business Development at Neogen. In this role, he oversees Neogen’s Animal Safety R&D and Data Analytics teams. Greg is a passionate advocate for animal agriculture and actively engages in evaluating and contributing to the development of new technologies and services that offer benefits to owners and employees of animal production practices worldwide.
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Dominic Vitucci Bio
Dominic was always poised to disrupt the tax industry. To get the required hours for the CPA, he decided to study both accounting and computer science. With two degrees in hand, Dominic started his career as integral part of the Grant Thornton Tax Innovation team.
Throughout his tenure, he had the unique opportunity to interact with firm experts, each sharing their ambitious visions for cutting-edge technologies. In August 2020, inspired by these encounters, he made the bold decision to leave Grant Thornton and devote himself full-time to building a truly innovative R&D credit technology.
Martijn Schippers, a driven entrepreneur from the Netherlands, began his journey in business at the age of 15, co-founding a successful employment agency with his siblings. Over the course of a decade, Martijn helped grow the company from the ground up, eventually selling it after reaching $8 million in revenue and employing 20 staff members.
In 2022, Martijn joined The Schippers Group, a family business started by his grandfather in 1966, which has evolved into a global leader in farm biosecurity. As the General Manager of Schippers USA, Martijn relocated to the United States with a mission to expand the HyCare program. His focus is on delivering comprehensive biosecurity solutions that not only supply high-quality products but also provide the right application, coaching, and monitoring to ensure optimal results. These initiatives are designed to create cleaner living environments and drinking water on farms, ultimately reducing antibiotic usage and enhancing animal performance.
Dave Parks is an engineer at SwineTech with a diverse background in agriculture and technology. Raised in South Central Kansas, Dave grew up with hands-on experience at his grandparents’ small sow finishing farm. He graduated from Kansas State University with a degree in secondary education, emphasizing computers. Dave spent years in the public school system, where he taught computer technology and developed mobile apps and cloud computing solutions to enhance educational processes.
Bill Even is the Chief Executive Officer of the National Pork Board. With extensive experience in agriculture and leadership, he directs programs to build trust and add value for the nation’s 60,000 pork producers. His responsibilities include strategic marketing, research, and supporting producer initiatives.
Dr. David Newman is the Senior Vice President of Market Growth at the National Pork Board. A third-generation pork producer and meat scientist, Dr. Newman leads efforts to understand consumer behavior and drive demand for pork. He focuses on innovative marketing strategies to position pork as a preferred protein.
Brent Hershey is the owner and President of Hershey Ag, a company he formed in 1980. Growing up on the family farm, Brent raised steers, grew tobacco and corn, and worked alongside his father and uncle in an egg layer house. Over the years, he has expanded Hershey Ag to include swine production, a dairy feed division, and a dairy ventilation business.
Brent’s commitment to valuing and growing people from within has been a cornerstone of his management strategy, particularly across his sow farm management team. His greatest accomplishments include achieving superior production systems by promoting quality and efficiency from sow breeding and birthing to growing excellent market hogs. Brent embraces change and progress in the ag industry, always striving to be better today than yesterday.
Drew Ott, a former Iowa Hawkeye football player, balances life on his Nebraska family farm with his wife, Kali, who he met at the University of Iowa where she played basketball. Married since 2017, Drew and Kali integrate modern agricultural techniques and traditional farming practices, navigating the challenges of family farming while fostering a deep connection to their rural roots and each other.