2018 Inductees
Meat Industry Hall of Fame Class of 2018
We are excited to honor and celebrate seven individuals — the Class of 2018 — as they are inducted into the Meat Industry Hall of Fame! This prestigious class of leaders include industry executives, scientists, innovators and association leaders from all sectors of the meat, poultry and livestock industry. Their contributions to our industry qualify them as legends in this business.
Rod A. Bowling, Ph.D.
Ag Marketing Specialist, USDA-AMS;
Owner, AgriFood Solutions International
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Neil Genshaft
Owner and CEO
Fresh Mark, Inc.
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Ronald Miniat
Chairman of the Board (retired),
The Miniat Holdings
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Elsa A. Murano, Ph.D.
Director, The Borlaug Institute for International Agriculture;
Professor and President Emerita, Texas A&M University
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James Riemann, Ph.D.
Assistant Secretary (retired), Kansas Dept. of Agriculture;
Past President, Certified Angus Beef LLC
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Mike Satzow
Executive Vice President,
North Country Smokehouse
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Jimmy Wise, Ph.D.
Meat Judging Program Coordinator (retired), American Meat Science Assoc.; Ag Marketing Specialist,
USDA-AMS
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Rod A. Bowling, Ph.D
Ag Marketing Specialist, USDA-AMS;
Owner, AgriFood Solutions International
Rod A. Bowling is known as a visionary applied scientist whose more than six decades in animal agriculture has included work in the show circuit, production, feedlots, ranching, academics, packing and public service.
Dr. Bowling majored in Range Animal Science and Chemistry at Sul Ross State University. He earned his Master of Science degree in Meat Science and his Doctor of Philosophy degree in Meat Science and Muscle Biology, both from Texas A&M University. After graduate school, Dr. Bowling became Assistant Professor of Animal Science at Colorado State University. After transitioning to the beef-packing industry, Dr. Bowling developed a statistical process control system for beef slaughter, fabrication, and ground beef. In the mid-1980s, he pioneered both the use of HACCP protocols in slaughter and fabrication processes and the use of competitive exclusion bacteria to control pathogens. He holds 13 patents that pertain to food safety. Additionally, he instituted several corporate chaplaincy programs to serve as liaisons between plant personnel and management.
In 2006, Dr. Bowling founded AgriFood Solutions International, LLC, to address energy and clean water needs to provide safe food production and technical uplift in countries with undeveloped and inefficient supply chains.
Dr. Bowling joined USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service in 2014 as a Marketing Specialist. In 2017, he transitioned to the position of Beef and Lamb Grading Analyst.
The International Livestock Congress elected Dr. Bowling to the International Stockmen’s Educational Foundation Hall of Fame in 2004, and he has received numerous distinguished awards and honors from his alma mater, Texas A&M University.
CloseNeil Genshaft
Chairman of the Board, CEO,
Fresh Mark
Neil Genshaft has led the vast growth and diversified business strategies at Fresh Mark since 1979. He is a third-generation owner who was responsible for transforming the company’s business operation from livestock harvesting to processing in his early years of ownership. Genshaft has spent his career leading the evolution of Fresh Mark’s production capabilities and product offerings within the ever-changing landscape of the meat industry.
Under Genshaft’s leadership, Fresh Mark has grown from a regional provider to an international supplier of American-made bacon, ham, hot dogs, dry sausage and deli meats sold in grocery stores and foodservice operations around the world. One of Fresh Mark’s legacy retail brands — Superior’s Brand Meats — was founded by the Genshaft family in 1933 and maintains a presence in grocery stores today. Fresh Mark’s other brand — Sugardale — is a leading brand in the retail and foodservice industries and celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2020.
Genshaft sits on the Board of Directors with the North American Meat Institute. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Chicago. He and his wife, Marie, of 28 years, have two children, Isaac and Naomi. Isaac serves as a vice president at Fresh Mark, representing the fourth generation of the Genshaft family in the meat industry.
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Ronald Miniat
Chairman of the Board (retired),
The Miniat Companies
Ronald Miniat is an entrepreneur with more than 60 years of experience in the meat and animal fats & oils industry. After graduating from St. Joseph College and serving in the U.S. Army, Miniat joined his family business selling meat to local butchers in Chicago in the early 1950s. The business progressed over the years from breaking cattle for large grocery stores to selling boxed beef to supermarket chains and hotels / restaurant suppliers, as well as rendering and refining animal fats for restaurant use.
Miniat is known for his pioneering spirit and advocacy on behalf of others. His company was one of the early adopters of vacuum packing for meats; a technology that effectively extended product shelf life. With the use of this technology, Miniat became one of the first to offer and deliver boxed and boned beef on a large scale; a dynamic change in the meat industry. Miniat has been a supportive member of the North American Meat Institute for many years. He also has lobbied Congress and the USDA as an advocate for his customers, the meat industry at large and particularly for smaller meatpackers.
In January 2018, Miniat was honored with the E. Floyd Forbes Award — the highest honor bestowed by the Institute, which recognizes visionary leadership, excellence and dedication to the meat industry. In February 2018, Miniat retired as Chairman of the Board of The Miniat Companies; a family company more than 100 years old, now employing its fifth generation of family members.
Miniat passed away Dec. 20, 2018, at age 89.
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Elsa A. Murano, Ph.D
Director, The Borlaug Institute for International Agriculture;
Professor and President Emerita, Texas A&M University
A graduate of Florida International University in Biological Sciences, Dr. Murano received an M.S. in Anaerobic Microbiology and a Ph.D. in Food Science & Technology from Virginia Tech. She began her career as an Assistant Professor in food microbiology at Iowa State University in 1990. In 1995, she joined the faculty at Texas A&M University as Associate Professor, leading the university’s Center for Food Safety as director.
In 2001, Dr. Murano was appointed by President George W. Bush to serve as Undersecretary for Food Safety at the Department of Agriculture. As a result of her policies and leadership, the Centers for Disease Control’s Healthy People 2020 goals of reducing foodborne illnesses were met six years ahead of schedule, decreasing the rate of illnesses due to E. coli O157:H7 by 42 percent and the number of recalls of meat products by 74 percent. In 2005, Dr. Murano was appointed Dean and Vice Chancellor of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Texas A&M. In 2008, Dr. Murano became the first woman and first Hispanic president of Texas A&M University.
As a research scientist, Dr. Murano received an average of ~$750K/year in extramural funding, published an average of 4 scientific articles per year, and a total of 7 book chapters in the field of food safety.
Since June of 2012, she has been serving as Director of the Norman E. Borlaug Institute for International Agriculture, a premier institution within Texas A&M which conducts development projects to lift small farmers out of poverty and hunger in Asia, Latin America, Sub Saharan Africa and the Middle East.
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James Riemann, Ph.D.
Assistant Secretary, Kansas Dept. of Agriculture (retired);
Past President, Certified Angus Beef LLC
James Riemann received all of his degrees from Kansas State University in Agricultural Education (BS 1966), Animal Science (MS 1973) and Food Science (Ph.D. 1974). Upon completion of graduate school Riemann joined the faculty at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville. He received three College of Agriculture Outstanding Teacher Awards. His research work focused on meat animal composition, meat palatability, packaging and further processing. He entered private industry in 1992 becoming director of a new beef R&D program for Excel Corp. (Cargill) at Wichita, Kansas. Strong emphasis on creating new food safety technologies led to creation of the beef carcass steam pasteurization system, resulting in two patented processes, and placing the company in an industry-leading role in food safety. In addition, much was accomplished to improve consistency in ground beef composition and temperature control for significant shelf life extension.
In late 1998, Riemann accepted an opportunity to become involved in marketing. He moved to Wooster, Ohio, and became president of Certified Angus Beef LLC, succeeding the founder of the oldest and largest branded beef program. This marketing program promotes the Certified Angus Beef® brand in nearly 50 countries. During Riemann’s tenure, CAB® Natural and CAB® Prime brand extensions were created, and the marketing program increased customer focus by establishing regional representatives in strategic geographic areas. He retired in late 2006.
In January 2011, Riemann left retirement to serve as Assistant Secretary of the Kansas Dept. of Agriculture, overseeing nine regulatory programs within the agency. He retired again in late 2013.
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Mike Satzow
Executive Vice President,
North Country Smokehouse
Mike Satzow is a 3rd-generation butcher, trained and mastered in the “Old World” style. He founded and built North Country Smokehouse in the same place his grandfather’s butcher shop once stood. With his talent, passion, and attention to quality, North Country Smokehouse became a leader in the highest-quality meat products, receiving many honors and being featured in household publications such as Men’s Health (“The 10 Best Bacons Known to Man”), New York Times and Saveur. Pope John Paul II even requested North Country Smokehouse bacon be served to him while he visited the U.S.
Satzow received the 2009 Richard L. Knowlton Award, which honors a meat processing executive who demonstrates excellence in the areas of innovation, business success, and industry contribution. He was an active member of the North American Meat Association for over two decades and served as co-chairman from 2012-2015. He is an active member of the American Culinary Federation, The James Beard Foundation, and the Research Chefs Association. Satzo is also an active member of his community, having served on the Board of Directors at Valley Regional Hospital and as a member of the Kiwanis organization. In 2005, he was named Claremont Chamber of Commerce’s Citizen of the Year. This honor recognized his “unflagging dedication to improving his community, his company, and his industry. He created an economic development organization that has benefited Claremont during difficult economic times for almost 30 years and he has served on committees dedicated to improving nearly every aspect of life in his community.
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Jimmy Wise, Ph.D.
Meat Judging Program Coordinator, American Meat Science Association (retired);
Ag Marketing Specialist, USDA-AMS
Dr. Jimmy Wise received his B.S. degree in 1967 from Oklahoma State University and in 1967 began graduate study at the University of Nebraska, receiving his M.S. degree in 1970 and his Ph.D. in 1977. In 1970, he accepted a full-time Instructor-Extension Meat Specialist position.
In 1978, Dr. Wise joined the Meat Standardization Branch as a Meat Marketing Specialist of the Food Safety and Quality Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture. During his tenure, he served the industry as an integral member of the National Cattlemen’s Association Carcass Quality Task Force and Instrument Grading Subcommittee, American Sheep Industry’s Lean Lamb Task Force, and Beef Improvement Committee’s ultrasound certification, among others. He was also an essential member of research teams associated with Instrument Grading, the National Consumer Beef Study, National Beef Quality Audits, International Beef and Pork Quality Audits and Beef Customer Satisfaction. In addition, Dr. Wise was intimately involved in the development of the Color Marbling Standards and several training aids.
Upon his retirement from USDA in 2005, Dr. Wise joined the staff of the American Meat Science Association serving as the Meat Judging Program Coordinator and staff liaison to the Intercollegiate Meat Coaches Association. After nine years of service to AMSA, Dr. Wise once again retired.
Dr. Wise is one of the world's leading authorities on meat evaluation and grading, and a true student and scholar of the history and research literature relative to grade standards. As the livestock industry has pursued the “War on Fat” and “Value-Based Marketing,” he was an active and willing participant in endeavors designed to reduce the waste fat on cattle, sheep, and swine.
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