Meat Industry Hall of Fame names Class of 2011

Twelve of industry’s top leaders will be honored during November ceremony in Chicago.

News Brief Feature — Image credit: Perdue

The Board of Trustees of the Meat Industry Hall of Fame has announced that 12 new members have been elected to the Hall. The Class of 2011 was chosen from a list of more than 60 nominees in voting last month by the Trustees and all the living Members of the Hall. The nominees included industry executives, scientists, innovators and association leaders from all sectors of the livestock, meatpacking and poultry processing industries.

“This year’s class is representative of some of the industry’s true pioneers,” said Chuck Jolley, president and founder of the Meat Industry Hall of Fame. “Our trustees and members have chosen an elite group of leaders who have not only achieved remarkable business success but have spent their careers contributing to the progress of the entire industry. We are delighted to be able to honor this group, who truly represent the best of the best, both in business and in life.”

“Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of interviewing virtually every one of our new members,” said Dan Murphy, Hall of Fame executive director and a former industry trade magazine editor. “The Class of 2011 is a group of leaders who are outstanding examples of the innovation, integrity and service that characterize the values we cherish as Americans. They represent one of our nation’s fundamental industries, and we’re proud to celebrate their accomplishments and their legacies.”

The Induction Ceremony for the new Meat Industry Hall of Fame members will take place on Nov. 1, 2011, at Chicago’s famed Union League Club. The dinner and presentation ceremony coincides with Process Expo, the food industry’s leading trade show and a Hall of Fame sponsor.

Here is the Meat Industry Hall of Fame Class of 2011:

— Alan Simon, chairman and CEO, Omaha Steaks (retired)

— Clarence Becker, president, Becker Food Company (posthumous)

— Dale Huffman, Ph.D., professor and researcher, Auburn University (retired)

— Eldon Roth, founder, BPI Inc.

— George Watts, president, National Chicken Council (retired)

— Jack Allen, professor emeritus of Food Marketing, Michigan State University

— John Bryan, former board chairman and CEO, Sara Lee Corp.(retired)

— John Story, vice president of Meat Marketing, Fairway Foods (retired)

— Manny Rosenthal, chairman emeritus, Standard Meat Co. (posthumous)

— Mel Salomon, chairman, Allen Brothers (retired)

— Phil Clemens, chairman, Hatfield Quality Meats