The American Meat Science Association (AMSA) announces Jodie Pitcock as the 2019 AMSA Intercollegiate Meat Judging Meritorious Service Award winner. The Intercollegiate Meat Judging Meritorious Service Award was established in 1993 to recognize outstanding contributions or service to the Intercollegiate Meat Judging Program. This award is sponsored by Food Safety Net Services and Agri-West International. Jodie will be honored at an awards banquet on Tuesday, June 25, 2019 during the AMSA 72^nd Reciprocal Meat Conference in Loveland, Colorado.

Currently Pitcock is the Assistant Field Chief overseeing voluntary reporting for livestock and grains for the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) stationed in St. Joseph, Missouri. This current leadership position has direct ties to his passion for the intercollegiate meat judging program, where as a college student he successfully completed an internship program focused on USDA carcass grade standards and various acceptance programs through the Meat Grading and Certification Branch. Additionally, he gained experience performing research and reporting about livestock and carcass grade standards and meat product purchase specifications. His involvement with the intercollegiate meat judging program now embraces all colleges and universities with recognized programs.

As a young 4-H and FFA member, he developed a love of agriculture, and his exposure to meat judging upon enrollment into college fueled his passion for the competition. A springboard to his success included high individual honors at the 1990 National Western and Houston Intercollegiate Meat Judging Contests while competing for Eastern Oklahoma State College. Following his highly successful season judging for the 1991 National Champion Texas Tech Red Raider Intercollegiate Meat Judging Team, Jodie began his journey of giving back to a program that provided him so many opportunities. His life-long journey included coordinating programs with Clarendon College and Texas Tech University. Subsequently, Jodie coached the 1992 Clarendon College Intercollegiate Meat Judging Team where under his direction Clarendon won the 1992 Cargill High Plains Contest in Plainview, Texas.

Teaching, coaching, and mentoring young men and women interested in the meat and livestock industries have come naturally for Jodie, and he is quick to respond that God has provided him such opportunities. Today he continues to give back to the program by working with young men and women from across the nation who participate in meat judging and meat animal evaluation - from the young, first year 4-H member, to a member of the National FFA Organization, and those students who represent their colleges and universities at the national level. He tirelessly gives of his time and efforts to work with any student who desires to achieve excellence in any and all areas of their life, and thus, he has influenced young lives for the better. He has influenced many, many students while riding in a 15-passenger van sharing life-long lessons that he knows will provide insight and opportunity. He constantly challenges students to achieve perfection not only at meat judging, but also in the game called life. Those invaluable life lessons remain with them as they move into careers, develop relationships, and establish families. Jodie truly uses meat judging as a tool to help young men and women push themselves outside of their comfort zones to achieve goals that earlier they had considered unattainable.

Source: AMSA