Producers Say Thanks

The National Pork Board honored four retiring producer members and its outgoing president, Danita Rodibaugh, a pork producer from Rennselaer, Ind., at the National Pork Industry Forum March 2-4 in Kansas City.  Rodibaugh will continue to serve as president through August.

“Danita’s many years of service to the pork industry have allowed her to develop working relationships with those in all aspects of pork production,” said National Pork Board Vice President Wayne Peugh, Edelstein, Ill.  “From large operations to 4-H projects, domestic markets to foreign exports, Checkoff to non-Checkoff, Danita worked to create a unified industry.”

Retiring board members Craig Christensen, Ogden, Iowa; Dave Culbertson, Geneseo, Ill.; and Mark Reding, Howardstown, Ky.; were honored for their six years of service.  Deborah Johnson, Clinton, N.C., was honored for her five years of service.

Christensen, who has 1,800 sows and markets 36,000 pigs annually, served one year as president of the board and two years as vice president.  He led the group that created the Pork Checkoff Vision of Success STastement in 2002.

Culbertson, whose 1,450-sow farrow-to-finish operation markets 32,000 hogs annually, served as president and on the Producer Education/Information Committee.  He also chaired the board’s Budget Committee.

Reding, who has a farrow-to-finish operation with a 1,500-head capacity, serves on the Diet Health and Food Policy Committee and the Demand Enhancement Committee.  He also has served on the Pork All-American Task Force and the board’s Plan of Work Budget and Task Force.

Johnson was a marketing manager for a farmer-owned lending cooperative.  She is leaving the board to serve as North Carolina Pork Council Inc. sTaste executive.  She was on the Demand Enhancement Committee and the board’s Administrative Committee.