Mark Kaminsky, Chief Operating Officer at Koch Foods (Park Ridge, Illinois), was installed as 2018-2019 Chairman of the National Chicken Council (NCC) during NCC’s 64th Annual Conference held October 31 in Washington, D.C.
Kaminsky started his career at Arthur Andersen after receiving his Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting at DePaul University. He began his career with Koch Foods in 1990 on the financial side of the business but learned the operational side, including live processing through Koch’s move to become a vertically integrated poultry company in 1996. He has assisted in Koch’s growth from a one-plant operation to one of the leading poultry companies in the United States, through acquisitions, green field site developments and internal expansion.
Serving as NCC Vice chairman for 2018-2019 is Clint Rivers, President and Chief Executive Officer of Wayne Farms LLC (Oakwood, Georgia). Rivers joined Wayne Farms in October 2012 as Vice President and General Manager of the Fresh Business Unit. In 2014, he was promoted to Chief Operating Officer, and, in 2017, promoted to President and Chief Executive Officer. Prior to joining Wayne Farms, Rivers served as President of Foodservice and Supply Chain with Perdue Farms. In addition to the six years he spent with Perdue Farms, he worked 21 years with Pilgrim’s Pride where he held positions of increasing responsibility including the positions of Chief Operating Officer, and President and CEO. Rivers first began his career in the industry with Golden West Foods in Bedford, Virginia as a Quality Assurance Foreman. He holds a degree in Animal Science from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.
New to the officer corps, Trent Goins, president and CEO of O.K. Foods (Fort Smith, Arkansas), takes over as NCC Secretary-Treasurer. Over the past 15 years, Goins has held various positions within the company including VP of Sales and Marketing and Regional Sales Manager. He is currently the chair of the Fort Smith Chamber of Commerce, serves as a lifetime member of The Poultry Federation and currently serves as Vice President of 64.6 Downtown, a non-profit, and is the co-founder of the Peacemaker Music Festival and The Outlier Music Series. Preceding his tenure at O.K. Foods, Goins worked as a Legislative Assistant on Agriculture and Trade Policy for Congressman Marion Berry of Arkansas’ first Congressional district.
Officers serve one-year terms.
In addition to the three new officers, Mike Brown, of Vienna, Virginia, was elected to a sixth term as president of NCC.
“I want to personally thank Immediate Past Chairman Ben Harrison for the leadership and stewardship he displayed at the council during his chairmanship,” Brown said. “I look forward to leaning on the vast knowledge of Mark, Clint, and Trent to help guide our organization and the industry in the coming year.”