The North American Meat Institute’s (NAMI) incoming President and CEO Barry Carpenter announced today that Capitol Hill veteran Pete Thomson has been named senior vice president of legislative affairs at the Institute.

NAMI will officially begin January 1, 2015, when the merger of the American Meat Institute and the North American Meat Association is completed.  Thomson joins the staff January 5.

As the House Agriculture Committee’s senior advisor for livestock matters, Thomson has accrued 31 years of Congressional experience.  While serving on the Committee staff, he counseled five Committee Chairmen and interacted with the entire spectrum of producers, packers, processors, retailers and consumers.  

Thomson began in the office of Rep. Bob Smith (OR) and soon moved to the House Agriculture Committee, where he worked on six different farm bills and has been actively engaged in a wide array of key issues, including industry marketing and structure, country-of-origin labeling, regulatory issues associated with GIPSA, foreign market access and animal identification. 

“Pete Thomson’s experience on the Hill and his deep understanding of agriculture and livestock issues in particular will be invaluable to NAMI members,” Carpenter said.  “We are fortunate to have his leadership on our team at this important time in our Institute’s history.”

Thomson received his master of arts in public administration and his bachelor of arts in history and political science from Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia.

Source: NAMI