USPOULTRY President John Starkey has announced his upcoming retirement from the organization.
A search committee for his replacement will be formed at the January USPOULTRY board meeting, and a selection process and timeline will be established. Once a successor is in place, Starkey will remain available in an advisory role through 2023.
“John has been a true leader in the industry throughout his career,” NCC President Mike Brown said. “He’s been a strong partner to the National Chicken Council and has been a true and valuable friend. I look forward to continuing my relationship with John this year and into the future. I wish him well in his well-deserved retirement.”
“John has provided solid and visionary leadership to USPOULTRY for the past 15 years,” USPOULTRY Chairman of the Board and Perdue Farms Vice President, Chief Animal Care Officer and Farmer Relationship Advocate Mike Levengood said. “He has provided consistent guidance through some very challenging times, particularly the Foundation campaign and COVID-19 pandemic. And USPOULTRY and IPPE have grown significantly. Recognizing that level of leadership, John was also awarded the Association’s highest annual award, the Workhorse of the Year, in 2015.”
Starkey has served as President of USPOULTRY since August 2007 after succeeding retiring president Don Dalton. He began his career as an environmental engineer for Gold Kist in Atlanta in 1982 after completing his undergraduate degree in chemical engineering at Purdue University and a master’s degree in sanitary engineering at Georgia Tech.
Starkey left Gold Kist to join Hudson Foods in Rogers, Arkansas as director of environmental affairs. He later became a principal in the engineering firm Vaughn, Coltrane & Associates when Hudson Foods was sold to Tyson Foods.
