The National Turkey Federation (NTF) Board of Directors has elected members of the 2017 Executive Committee during its February annual convention in Orlando, FL, Carl Wittenburg, President and Founder of Protein Alliance Inc., was elected 2017 NTF chairman.

The Board also elected Jeff Sveen, Chairman of the Board for Dakota Provisions, as vice-chairman; and Glenn Leitch, President of Jennie-O Turkey Store, as secretary-treasurer. John Reicks, Vice President of Internal Operations for Tyson Foods, Inc., will stay on as Immediate Past Chairman.

Raised in Wyndmere, ND, on a turkey, cattle and grain farm, Wittenburg had an early involvement in agriculture which manifested as participation in 4-H and Future Farms of America (FFA) throughout high school. In college, Wittenburg co-owned, and operated a turkey farm in Rugby, ND which he would later sell in 2010.

Upon graduating from North Dakota State University, Wittenburg went to work for Northern Pride Incorporated, a turkey processing facility, as production coordinator and by 1992, he was recruited as the USA Sales Manager for Hybrid Turkeys. Seven short years later Protein Alliance was formed with his business partner Jeff Stauffenecker. Wittenburg has been very involved in the turkey industry as the North Dakota Poultry Industries chair and an elected member of the National Turkey Federation (NTF) executive committee since 2008 where he chairs the NTF’s Communications committee. In2010, Wittenburg and his wife Sharlene purchased the family turkey farm in Wyndmere, ND and are shareholder members of Northern Pride Inc.

The Board also reelected Executive Committee members John Burkel of Northern Pride, Inc.; Matthew Cook of Norbest; Gary Cooper of Cooper Farms; Kerry Doughty of Butterball, LLC; Jihad Douglas of Aviagen Turkeys; Ron Kardel of West Liberty Foods, LLC; John Neimann of Cargill Cooked Turkey & Meats; Ronnie Parker of Circle S Ranch and Phil Seger of Farbest Foods, Inc.,

Executive Committee members appointed Yubert Envia of Foster Farms and Mark McKay of Perdue Foods Incorporated as an at-large member of the Executive Committee

Source: NTF