The MEAT INDUSTRY HALL OF FAME Board of Trustees has announced that 12 new members have been elected to the Class of 2012. They were chosen from a list of more than 60 nominees by the Trustees and 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.

The Hall of Fame was founded in 2008 and has inducted 45 distinguished men and women since then. More than 200 people attended last year’s gala reception and dinner, and attendance at this year’s event is expected to be even greater.

“This year’s class is one of our strongest and includes 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 making important contributions to their communities and the progress of the entire industry.”

The induction ceremony for the new MEAT INDUSTRY HALL OF FAME Members will take place Oct. 27, 2012, at the J.W. Marriott Hill Country near San Antonio, Texas. The dinner and presentation ceremony will be held in conjunction with the North American Meat Association (NAMA) Outlook Conference, one of the first events of the new association — a consolidation of the North American Meat Processors Association (NAMP) and the National Meat Association (NMA). The Outlook Conference is a continuation of what was an annual NAMP event.

The executive board and staff of the MEAT INDUSTRY HALL OF FAME extend a special invitation to you and your family to attend the 2012 Reception and Induction Ceremony, Oct. 27, 2012, in San Antonio, Texas, honoring:

•         BILL FIELDING, Executive positions with Cargill, Inc.; ConAgra Fresh Meat; Creekstone Farms Premium Beef, LLC and Meyer Natural Foods

•         ELLARD PFAELZER, Sr, Pfaelzer Bros.

•         ELLARD “BUTCH” PFAELZER, JR., The Bruss Co.

•         FRED USINGER, President, Usinger’s Famous Sausage

•         DAVE THENO, PH.D., Senior Vice President, Jack in the Box and CEO, Gray Dog Partners, Inc.

•         DAVE WOOD, CEO, Harris Ranch

•         JIM HODGES, Executive Vice President, American Meat Institute; President, American Meat Institute Foundation

•         MOHAMMAD KOOHMARAIE, PH.D., Chief Executive Officer, Meat Division, IEH Laboratories and Consulting Group

•         STEVE KRUT, CEO (Retired), American Association of Meat Processors

•         ALFRED “AL” KOBER, Retail Director, Certified Angus Beef, LLC, Meat Director, Clemens Supermarkets

•         BOBBY HATOFF, Chairman, Allen Brothers

•         HERB LOTMAN, Founder, Keystone Foods

•         MARVIN J. WALTER, Carriage House Meat & Provision Company; Ames Processed Foods Company, Inc.; Webster City Custom Meats, Inc. and W & G Marketing Company, Inc.

Induction ceremony tickets are $250. A specially reserved table seating eight with corporate or personal acknowledgement in the 2012 Commemorative Program is just $2,000. Additional sponsorships are also available. Contact Chuck Jolley (chuckj@meatindustryhalloffame.com or +1 913.205.3791) for details.