TPA honors “Workhorse of the Year” and “NextGen Young Leader Under 30” at
annual meeting.
This year the Tennessee Poultry Association (TPA) hosted its Annual Meeting and Summer Getaway on Aug. 19 and 20 in Nashville. Aviagen® shares with the association a commitment to the success and sustainability of the poultry industry. Aviagen was a sponsor of the meeting, and the company’s President of North America Dr. Marc de Beer was there to present the keynote address. During the meeting, the TPA recognized two Aviagen employees for their dedication and contribution to North American poultry.
Workhorse of the Year
At the event, Aviagen’s Regional Business Manager for North America Jeremy
Martin received two separate accolades. Based on his tireless service to the
Association and to the industry, he was honored with the TPA 2022 Workhorse of
the Year award. And, serving as second vice president in 2021, Martin was
appointed as first VP during this year’s annual meeting. Jeremy has served Aviagen
North America for nearly a quarter century, and has been on the TPA Board since
2019. He also chairs the TPA Scholarship Committee and has been active on the
Live Production and Auction committees. He also supports the service meetings, the
scholarship reviewing and selection process, the annual meeting and events and
various fundraisers. Additionally, he works closely with Tennessee universities to
help develop their poultry programs and get more students excited about the
industry.
“Jeremy has been extremely active with TPA, and makes himself available to us
whenever his skills and advice are needed. He is energetic, enthusiastic and
supportive and knows how to get things done,” said Dale Barnett, Executive Director
of the TPA. “More importantly, he was chosen for his passion for poultry and going
above and beyond to contribute to the sustainability of the industry in Tennessee and
beyond.”
NextGen Young Leader Under 30
Rachel Breeding, Quality Assurance and Regulatory Manager at the Aviagen
pedigree operation in Crossville, Tenn., was presented with a TPA 2022 NextGen
Young Leader Under 30 Award. The intention of the award program is to encourage
up-and-coming professionals who work for TPA-member poultry companies directly
involved in poultry production or processing. Breeding was nominated for the award
by her manager Clara Goldman for her leadership qualities, dedication and
enthusiasm for the industry. “To breed the best, we need the best, and Rachel is
certainly among our best talent,” explained Goldman. “She excelled in her roles with
the QA and Regulatory Team from her first day on the job, with a careful attention to
detail and quality, and an unmatched ability to work with people. Rachel is an
excellent example of Aviagen’s core values of integrity, positive attitude, customer
focused and more!
“I am proud of both Rachel and Jeremy and appreciate the TPA for honoring our
employees. We value our close and longstanding relationship with the TPA and
share with them a vision to equip farmers with everything they need to put healthy
chicken meat on the tables of families in Tennessee and throughout North America,”
added Marc de Beer, President of North America.
Aviagen supports future of Tennessee poultry
Aviagen sponsors a scholarship for students at Tennessee universities who are
pursuing a career in the poultry industry. Bethany Priest, an Animal Science student
at Tennessee Tech University, was awarded the 2022 Aviagen scholarship and was
presented with a check at the meeting.
“We congratulate Bethany and wish her all the best for a fulfilling career in poultry,”
commented de Beer. “The sustainability of our industry in Tennessee and around the
world depends on our ability to attract bright, innovative people like Bethany, who
have a passion to make a difference in feeding the world with a sustainable,
affordable and readily available source of protein.”
