WASHINGTON – The North American Meat Institute will hold an inaugural Annual Awards Ceremony and Luncheon at the 2016 International Production and Processing Expo (IPPE) in Atlanta. The event is slated for Jan. 26 at the Georgia World Congress Center. 

James Cunningham, Eat St.
James Cunningham, host of Eat St.

The ceremony will feature NAMI board of directors, representatives from packer and processor companies and award nominees and their families. Master of Ceremonies will be comedian and author James Cunningham, host of the television series Eat St.

Honorees for 2016 include:

• Jim Lochner, former COO at Tyson Foods, Inc., will receive the E. Floyd Forbes Award in recognition of his record of accomplishments and strong commitment to the meat industry.

• Kerri Gehring, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Animal Science at Texas A&M Univ. and president of the International HACCP Alliance, will be honored with the Industry Advancement Award as a testament to her professional contributions in the areas of animal and food science education and research, which have had a significant and positive impact on the meat and poultry industry.

• The Edward C. Jones Community Service Award will honor Sheldon Lavin, chairman CEO of OSI Group, LLC, for his dedication to, and active participation in, charitable organizations in the Chicago metropolitan area and the international communities in which OSI operates.

• Joseph Sebranek, Ph.D., distinguished professor of animal science at Iowa State Univ., will receive the Harry L. Rudnick Educator’s Award in recognition of his role as an educator of future industry leaders and his extensive research, which has advanced the meat and poultry industry’s food safety and quality management systems.

• Mohammad Koohmaraie, Ph.D., CEO of the meat division at IEH Laboratories, is the recipient of the NAMI Foundation Scientific Achievement Award, honoring his longstanding contributions assisting the industry to produce safe and wholesome meat, and his efforts to improve meat and poultry technologies.

• The Supplier of the Year Award will be presented to JBT Corporation/Wolf-tec in recognition of the company’s spirit of partnership with its customers and contribution to the success of the meat and poultry industry through advanced and innovative equipment design and production.

NAMI also will present the recipients of the Environmental Recognition Awards, which are given to companies that demonstrate a dedication to continuous environmental improvement, as witnessed by the development and implementation of Environmental Management Systems.

“The Annual Awards Ceremony and Luncheon will celebrate the enormous talent and showcase the significant contributions of Meat Institute members and industry leaders,” said NAMI President and CEO Barry Carpenter. “The inaugural event will provide a unique opportunity to honor the meat and poultry industry’s continued commitment to service, ingenuity and improvement against the backdrop of the world’s largest annual meat, poultry and feed tradeshow.”