USMEF to Honor Ted McKinney, Dermot Hayes at Indianapolis Conference
Hear/Download the Audio Report HERE.
USMEF announced the 2025 recipients of its two most prestigious awards, who will be honored Nov. 13 at the USMEF Strategic Planning Conference in Indianapolis.
Ted McKinney, CEO of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA), and who previously served as the first USDA under secretary for trade and foreign agricultural affairs, will receive the Michael J. Mansfield Award. USMEF established this award in recognition of the U.S. Senate majority leader and ambassador to Japan whose five decades of government service advanced U.S. trade relations throughout the world.
In this report, McKinney recalls working closely with USMEF’s international representatives when working to build global demand for U.S. ag exports.
Dermot Hayes, who recently retired as an Iowa State University professor and consulting economist for both the National Pork Board (NPB) and National Pork Producers Council (NPPC), will receive the USMEF Distinguished Service Award. This award honors outstanding figures in the red meat industry who exemplify the exceptional, individual dedication responsible for the federation’s success.
Hayes provided critical market research during negotiations of several U.S. free trade agreements, including those with South Korea, Colombia and Central America. He is pleased that these efforts have delivered great results for the U.S. industry, and sees similar potential in other regions.
A full press release on the awards is available here. More details on the USMEF Strategic Planning Conference, which is set for Nov. 12-14 in Indianapolis, are posted here and highlights will be available from the USMEF website.