Longtime leader of NC pork industry stepping down
Deborah Johnson, CEO of the North Carolina Pork Council for
the past ten years, has announced that she plans to step down from her position
by the end of the year. Johnson has served as a strong advocate
for North
Carolina's pork industry, which contributes more than $11 billion a year to the
state's economy.
"Deborah has been a remarkable leader for our industry who represented
farmers with pride and purpose. Her leadership and dedication will be hard to
replace," said Stephen Williamson, a hog farmer from
Kenansville who serves as
president of the North Carolina Pork Council
Council Board of Directors. "While we are sad to see
her go, she is leaving the North Carolina Pork Council
in excellent shape."
Williamson has assembled a search committee to identify the
organization's next leader and hopes to have a new CEO in place by November.
Johnson has agreed to remain with the North Carolina Pork Council
until a
new CEO is
selected to ensure a smooth transition.
"It has been a tremendous honor to represent an industry
that contributes so much to our state. During the past ten years, I have had
the pleasure of working alongside farmers across North Carolina who are
passionate about farming and care deeply about their community," Johnson said.
"I'll always have a special place in my heart for North Carolina hog farmers
and will continue to support the industry."
During Johnson's tenure at the North Carolina Pork Council, she helped
forged strong partnerships within the pork industry and the agricultural
community. She effectively advocated for family farmers on the state and
federal level and was instrumental in creating the NC Animal Ag Coalition and
NC Farm Families. She also encouraged the continued development of alternative
energy projects.
Under her leadership, the North Carolina Pork Council
increased its
promotion of barbecue and was a founding sponsor of the award-winning PBS
series "A Chef's Life." The organization also played a significant role in
fighting hunger in North Carolina, partnering with the North Carolina Association of
Feeding America Food Banks to address childhood hunger and study how food banks
and farmers could work together to provide fresh
fruit and vegetables.
A native of North Carolina, Johnson has devoted her career
to agricultural advocacy and rural economic development. A graduate of the
University of North Carolina, she began her career in the pork industry
with
Prestage Farms and also worked with the North Carolina State Ports Authority and Cape Fear
Farm Credit.
She has a long history of service to the agricultural
industry, including service to the National Pork Board, North Carolina Ag Biotech Advisory
Council, North Carolina
Agricultural Foundation and Sampson County Friends of
Agriculture.
