Names in the News
New hires, promotions, retirements
Arm & Hammer welcomes Marlena Hidlay
Arm & Hammer Animal and Food Production is pleased to welcome Marlena Hidlay to its #ScienceHearted team. Hidlay will serve as the global director of marketing communications & digital strategy for the specialty product division of Arm & Hammer’s parent company Church & Dwight.
Hidlay brings more than 15 years of business-to-business marketing experience and has an extensive background in strategic marketing, business development and communications. She comes to Church & Dwight from Balchem where she led the global business strategy and promotion of key minerals and nutrients brands.
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Innovasea names Rudi Seim managing director of Norway operations
Innovasea, a global leader in technologically advanced aquatic solutions for aquaculture and fish tracking, has hired Rudi Seim as managing director of its office in Bergen, Norway.
Seim comes to Innovasea from Benchmark Genetics, where he served as head of production Norway and global fish health.
Gaffield joins K-State Swine Nutrition Team
Katelyn Gaffield has been hired as assistant research professor for the Swine Nutrition Team in the Kansas State University Animal Sciences and Industry Department. As a swine nutritionist, her appointment will be 100% research. Originally from Sheldon, Illinois, Gaffield will begin March 1.
Gaffield’s primary role will be conducting applied swine nutrition research focused on improving profitability, efficiency and sustainability for pork producers. She will work with both graduate and undergraduate students and partner with commercial systems to conduct impactful research that will address some of the industry’s leading challenges. Read more
Madison Wyman joins American Feed Industry Association staff
Jeff Edwards has been named dean of the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences and senior associate vice president for academic programs of the Division of Agriculture, effective Jan. 1, 2024, in a joint appointment by University of Arkansas (U of A) Provost Terry Martin and U of A System Vice President for Agriculture Deacue Fields.
Edwards will succeed interim Dean Jean-Francois Meullenet. In January, Meullenet will return to his role as senior associate vice president for agriculture research and director of the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station for the U of A System Division of Agriculture.
Ricardo Santin, Richard Griffiths take helm at IPC
The International Poultry Council’s Executive Committee has announced its new composition for 2024 with Ricardo Santin, chief executive officer of the Brazilian Association of Animal Protein (Associação Brasileira de Proteína Animal – ABPA), elected president, and Richard Griffiths, chief executive officer of the British Poultry Council (BPC), elected vice president.
During this new term, country members will be represented by Yu Lu (China Chamber of Commerce of Import & Export of Foodstuffs, Native Produce & Animal By-Products – CFNA), Gonzalo Moreno (Federación Nacional de Avicultores de Colombia – FENAVI), Birthe Steenberg (EU Association of Poultry Processors and Trade – AVEC) and Greg Tyler (USA Poultry & Egg Export Council – USAPEEC).Associate members are represented by Sheila Guebara (Seara), Tim Klompmaker (Chicken Farmers of Canada), Stig Munck Larsen (Danish Food & Agriculture Council) and Marilia Rangel Campos (MSD Animal Health). Outgoing and former presidents Robin Horel and Jim Sumner will sit on the executive committee for another two-year term as appointed members.Santin will take the stage to outline the IPC vision and strategy at the IPC Annual Meeting in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in May 2024.Read more
The United Soybean Board (USB) announced that Lucas Lentsch will join the organization as its chief executive officer, starting January 1, 2024. Lentsch currently serves on the Dairy Management Inc. (DMI) leadership team, which manages the national dairy checkoff. USB’s board of farmer-leaders, representing more than 30 states, ratified the decision at its December board meeting.
“Lucas Lentsch is the right leader, at the right time, to continue the meaningful work of the soy checkoff and fulfill our vision of delivering sustainable soy solutions to every life, every day,” said Meagan Kaiser, outgoing chair of the United Soybean Board and CEO Selection Committee chair. “He is a true thought leader and collaborator with a wealth of checkoff program knowledge, deep agricultural roots, and comprehensive experience across the farm-to-food value chain.”Growing up on his family’s farm in South Dakota, promoting agriculture and serving farmers has always remained Lentsch’s true north. As an executive vice president at DMI, Lentsch liaised between national and local checkoff organizations, nationwide. He previously served as CEO at Midwest Dairy, a 10-state region. Lentsch was the South Dakota Secretary of Agriculture from 2013 to 2016. He holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Minnesota, Carlson School of Management, and a bachelor’s degree in agriculture from South Dakota State University.
Helping pig farmers solve everyday challenges with practical research-backed solutions is an important focus as IDEAL Animal Nutrition grows its team serving operations across the Midwest.
Kelsey Hammers joins the company as swine nutritionist and research coordinator, adding nutrition expertise alongside Jeff Knott and Simon Kern, while helping lead fast-expanding activity at the IDEAL Research Barn.Read more