The Animal Agriculture Alliance Board of Directors recently announced that the group has elected Terry Wehrkamp, of Cooper Farms, as its chair-elect. The announcement was made last week at the Alliance’s spring board meeting, held in conjunction with the 2016 Stakeholders Summit. Wehrkamp, who has served on the Alliance board since 2014, will serve a two-year term beginning in May2017.

Wehrkamp is a native of Smithville, Ohio, and graduated from The Ohio State University in 1982. He worked for Foster Farms in California after graduation, and joined the team at Cooper Farms in 1985. Wehrkamp currently serves as the company’s Director of Live Production, where he manages the teams caring for the company’s turkeys, hogs and chickens and its feed production. He was inducted into the Ohio State University Department of Animal Sciences Hall of Fame in December 2015 and was awarded the College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Distinguished Alumni Award in 2010.

“I am very excited to step into this leadership role with the Alliance,” Wehrkamp said. “Cooper Farms values our Alliance membership as it allows us to collaborate with other companies and organizations who are committed to securing a brighter future for our industry. I look forward to taking on the role of chair-elect and expanding my involvement in the Alliance’s work to connect industry stakeholders, engage with crucial audiences and protect the reputation of animal agriculture.”