If you’ve had the pleasure of spending time with National Pork Producers Council CEO Neil Dierks, you know he doesn’t like a lot of hoopla and attention. He’s a humble, quiet leader who is always looking for a way to elevate someone else to the podium.
Because of that, I can think of no more fitting way to honor one of the greatest leaders of all time in the pork industry with a few well-contemplated words from friends and colleagues in the swine industry who have shared a lifetime of experiences with Neil. Here are a few stories, a few memories and a few well wishes.
Al Tank
NPPC Past CEO
“Neil knows that I really like analogies because I believe they make people think about an issue, a challenge, a question or a person in a different way or from a different perspective. I decided to share my thoughts on Neil in the context of an analogy.
Neil Dierks is a nautical unicorn. He is both the ballast and the sextant of the ‘pork’ ship. Ballast is essential to keep a ship on an even keel and maintain stability regardless of the weather conditions, while a sextant is used by the keen navigator to always keep the ship on the correct heading and away from danger. Neil has been the nautical unicorn for the pork industry -- and is a truly significant and impactful figure in the history and success of the modern pork industry in the U.S.”
Barb Determan
Heartland Marketing Group president and NPPC past president
“I was president of NPPC when we hired Neil as CEO. We had spent five months without a CEO, had very little staff, experienced 9-11 and had to cancel 2001 World Pork Expo because of the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak in the United Kingdom. To say we were struggling was an understatement. Neil started about two weeks ahead of Pork Forum, our annual meeting and asked me how our preparations were going along. Basically, we had very little done. In true Neil fashion, he dug in and prepared us for the annual meeting. He has always approached this position the same way – respect for the producer and our futures in the business. My best description of Neil is integrity – he possesses it, expects it out of his staff and respects it in the producers and industry he has worked so hard for.”
Roy Lee Lindsey (l) and Neil Dierks
Roy Lee Lindsey
North Carolina Pork Council CEO
“Neil Dierks is a man of tremendous vision and leadership. I often describe Neil as being able to see around corners. For 20 years he stood steady at the helm of a dramatically changing industry with constantly evolving threats.
I have always appreciated Neil’s guidance and wisdom. He would regularly call me and just ask what was happening in my state and how could NPPC help. He has an incredible ability to listen to what I was ranting about and then gradually guide me to an opportunity to address the challenge.
For as long as I have worked with Neil, he has said he believes in hog farmers to make good decisions. He recently told the NC Pork Council Annual Conference that ‘Pork producers will always make the right decision if you give them enough information.’ I strive every day to make sure I follow that guidance. I am better today at my job due to the counsel of Neil Dierks. And I know my peers across the country feel the same way.”
JoAnn Alumbaugh
Freelance writer and former editor of Farm Journal’s PORK
“I’ve known Neil since he worked at the Iowa Pork Producers Association, and he is a natural born leader. It’s never been about him – it’s always about what’s best for producers, and that’s a rare gift. Neil helps producer-leaders and the people who work with him at NPPC find their talents and stretch their potential. He is a collaborator, helping people find common ground.
His most valuable trait? He listens. Not because he’s supposed to but because he’s truly interested in peoples’ opinions. When decisions need to be made, he encapsulates what he hears into a thoughtful cohesive plan that producers can embrace. There’s nothing insincere or artificial about this man – he is a servant leader who has been instrumental in moving the U.S. pork industry forward.”
Jen Sorenson
NPPC President
“I always got a kick out of Neil’s analogies—while he certainly had his favorites, I can verify he has an extensive collection. He used them to link ideas to something familiar, to comprehend complex subjects or issues quickly, and also to find catching and clever ways to get a point across to producers. He is such a genuinely nice person – kind, thoughtful, so intelligent on matters. He has served our industry with such integrity and professionalism. We owe him a tremendous amount of gratitude for his service and leadership to the pork industry.”
Pat McGonegle
Iowa Pork Producers Association CEO
“Neil Dierks is fun to travel with to meetings, events or programs. He can give you the historical background of any city or location across the world. He is a human history book. He is also very proud of his roots in production agriculture. His home farm near Monticello, Iowa, has been a source of pride and joy. He is also proud that generations of his family have been involved in the land and the legacy. Like his parents, Neil is always learning and always teaching.
As a leader, his vision regarding the impact of issues on pork producers and production was well beyond the capabilities of nearly all people in the industry. He was very supportive of the advancement of science and technology in the pork industry. From research to the U.S. Pork Center of Excellence, he was always striving to keep science and technology at the center of pork production.”
Dallas Hockman (l) and Neil Dierks
Dallas Hockman
NPPC Vice President of Industry Relations
“I’ve had that either fortune or misfortune to spend a significant period of time with Neil, both in my work career, but as well as we’ve traveled the world, as well as domestically on the road. A lot of people don’t know it, but Neil is a history major. I don’t know of a subject matter that Neil can’t comment on, and he’s diligent in studying behavior, watching news and reading to the point that sometimes you learn more than you would like to know about a subject matter.
When we’re in the car traveling together he often goes into what I jokingly call ‘Professor Dierkus’ mode. For example, you’ll pass a sign that might have a national monument, and then all of a sudden, ‘Oh, do you know anything about that?’ Of course no one does, because they didn’t even pay any attention to it. Then, he goes into this diatribe of where it came from, and the history and 45 minutes later, we’re in this zone of, ‘Okay, we know enough about that subject matter.’
Jokes aside, in his role as CEO, whether it was related to international trade, veterinary medicine, state ballot initiatives, or the plethora of things that we’re challenged with every day, his ability to absorb information and stay in touch with it, is just amazing to me. His willingness to be a sponge and learn, and then more importantly, share that information with others is incredible.”
More from Farm Journal’s PORK:
Pork Industry Unveils New Scholarship to Honor NPPC CEO, Industry Visionary
