The National Turkey Federation honored Paul Hill of Ellsworth, Iowa, with the NTF Lifetime Achievement Award during the 2026 National Turkey Federation Annual Convention in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The award recognizes Hill’s decades of leadership, service and lasting contributions to the US turkey industry.

Hill’s career reflects a lifetime commitment to turkey production, processing and industry leadership. His family’s involvement in turkey farming dates to 1947, and in 1957 the Hill family became among the first in Iowa to raise breeder turkeys.

The Hill family. Photo courtesy of the National Turkey Federation

Hill earned a degree in economics from St. Olaf College before spending time doing mission work in Thailand and serving in the National Guard. After marrying his wife, Mary, in 1967, Hill returned to Ellsworth, where he raised turkeys as well as crops and cattle. Over the years, he worked with several major turkey processors, including Land O’Lakes, Thompson Industries, Bil Mar Foods, Sara Lee, Louis Rich and ultimately West Liberty Foods.

Hill was one of the nearly 50 Iowa turkey farmers who came together in 1996 to form West Liberty Foods, a farmer-owned company. Hill later served as Chairman of the Board for West Liberty Foods.

Beyond his work at West Liberty Foods, Hill has been a long-time leader at the national level. He served as Chairman of the National Turkey Federation and, in 2008, had the honor of presenting the National Thanksgiving Turkey to President George W. Bush at the White House. Additionally, in 2016, Hill served as chairman of the US Poultry & Egg Association, the world’s largest poultry organization.

“Paul Hill’s more than half-century career in turkey embodies what the NTF Lifetime Achievement Award represents,” said NTF President and CEO Leslee Oden. “Paul has been a farmer, a processor, a national leader and he remains one of the most respected voices in the turkey industry. His decades of leadership created tremendous opportunities for turkey growers and helped carry the industry through some of its most pivotal moments.”

The NTF Lifetime Achievement Award is the federation’s highest individual honor and is presented to leaders whose careers have made a lasting and meaningful impact on the turkey industry. Hill is the 78th recipient of the NTF Lifetime Achievement Award.

Source: National Turkey Federation