Molly Parker, director of food safety and animal care at Butterball LLC, was elected chair of the Poultry & Egg Sustainability and Welfare Foundation Board of Trustees in January 2023. The Poultry & Egg Sustainability and Welfare Foundation Inc. operates as the administrator and coordinator for the activities of the International Poultry Welfare Alliance (IPWA) and the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Poultry & Eggs (US-RSPE). 

The IPWA is a global multi-stakeholder initiative that supports sustainable poultry production that is ethically, socially, scientifically and economically responsible. The US-RSPE is an initiative developed to advance, support and communicate continuous improvement in sustainability through leadership, innovation, multi-stakeholder engagement and collaboration. 

Parker has held several leadership positions on the foundation’s board of trustees since 2019. During Parker’s one-year term as chair, she will oversee the foundation’s board of trustees, which has oversight over the budget and administration of the IPWA and US-RSPE. 

“Molly’s service to the [foundation] and the International Poultry Welfare Alliance has been integral to the growth and success of these organizations over the last several years,” said Ryan Bennett, executive director at the IPWA and US-RSPE.

Parker joined Butterball in 2012 as an animal care and well-being assistant, where she played an integral role in securing American Humane certification for all live operations divisions and production facilities. In 2015, she was promoted to her current position and spearheads and directs Butterball’s animal care and well-being program, executes the live operations food safety program, develops, implements and maintains third party certifications for animal care and well-being, food safety, biosecurity, and no-antibiotics-ever production, and manages the internal audit schedule and audit team. Parker has a Bachelor of Science in biology from East Carolina University in North Carolina, a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from NC State University in North Carolina, and a Master of Avian Health and Medicine from the University of Georgia.

Source: Butterball LLC