National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) CEO Neil Dierks announced his retirement at the end of 2021 after 31 years of distinguished service with the NPPC, including the last 20 as the organization’s leader.
“I have truly enjoyed my service as CEO of NPPC,” Dierks said in a release. “The chance to interface with producers and others in the pork industry and beyond and to work with producer leaders and the talented NPPC staff has been the highlight of my career.”
The NPPC Board of Directors has begun a search for the next CEO, the organization said in a release. Dierks will remain in his role as CEO until the search process is completed and will assist during the transition period.
The search committee is made up of producer leaders and retained Korn Ferry to lead the search for a new CEO. The NPPC board expects to complete the search by the end of the year.
“Over the last 40 years, Neil has made countless, lasting contributions to the U.S. pork industry and established NPPC as a leading national advocacy organization and the global voice of the U.S. pork industry,” Jen Sorenson, NPPC president and communications director with Iowa Select Farms in West Des Moines, Iowa, said in a release. “He announces his plan to retire from NPPC at a time when the organization is in a stronger position than ever before to fulfill its advocacy mission.”
Dierks started his career in the pork industry when he joined the Iowa Pork Producers Association in 1981 to manage the Iowa Pork Congress. He later led legislative state outreach for the organization. After leading field service and state legislative outreach for the Iowa Corn Growers Association, Dierks joined NPPC in 1990 to manage World Pork Expo. He went on to serve as director of operations for NPPC’s CEO, vice president of research and education, and senior vice president of programs, a release said.
Shortly after NPPC and the industry’s checkoff were split into independent organizations, Dierks was recruited from the checkoff to lead NPPC as CEO in 2001, when the organization had five employees and World Pork Expo was its single source of revenue. During his time as CEO, NPPC grew steadily, expanding sources of revenue and establishing it as a highly effective, influential national advocacy organization critical to the profitable growth of U.S. pork producers.
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