TUCKER, GA. – The US Poultry & Egg Association (USPOULTRY) announced on Feb. 8 that it formed a search committee to find the presidential replacement for John Starkey, who announced his retirement from the position last month.

Starkey has worked as president of the association since August 2007.

The search committee will include USPOULTRY Executive committee members, including Jarod Morrison, chief financial officer for Farbest Foods and USPOULTRY chairman; Mikell Fries, president for Claxton Poultry Farms and USPOULTRY vice chairman; Jonathan Cade, president for Hy-Line International and USPOULTRY treasurer; and Bill Griffith, chief operations officer for Peco Foods and USPOULTRY secretary.

Mike Levengood, vice president, chief animal care officer and farmer relationship advocate for Perdue Farms and past USPOULTRY chairman, will serve as the search committee chairman.

Other people added to the Executive Committee for the search include Sherman Miller, president and chief executive officer for Cal-Maine Foods; Tom Hensley, president for Fieldale Farms; and John Prestage, senior vice president for Prestage Farms.

USPOULTRY said all the people on the search committee are current USPOULTRY board members or past chairmen of the Association.