USMEF Awards Recognize Ibach, Andriessen

Two individuals were honored for their dedication and contributions to the U.S. red meat industry during a luncheon held Nov. 7 as part of the USMEF Strategic Planning Conference in Long Beach, California.

Greg Ibach, USDA’s under secretary for marketing and regulatory programs, received the Michael J. Mansfield Award. USMEF created this award in honor of former U.S. Senate Majority Leader and U.S. Ambassador to Japan Michael J. Mansfield, who helped form the foundation for U.S. trade relations throughout the world.

Prior to his appointment at USDA, Ibach served as director of the Nebraska Department of Agriculture from 2005 to 2017, where he was a tireless advocate for international promotion of U.S. red meat products. He first became involved with USMEF as a member of the Nebraska Beef Council and through his service on the Beef Promotion Operating Committee.

Roel Andriessen, who served as USMEF chair in 2015-2016 and is a former chair of the USMEF Exporter Committee, was honored with the USMEF Distinguished Service Award, presented to individuals who have demonstrated outstanding leadership in the pursuit of USMEF’s export goals. Andriessen was actively involved in the organization for much of his career in the meat industry, which spanned nearly 40 years prior to his retirement from Tyson Fresh Meats, where he headed the international sales group.

(left to right) 2017-18 USMEF Chair Dennis Stiffler, Distinguished Service Award Recipient Roel Andriessen, Michael J. Mansfield Award Recipient Greg Ibach and USMEF President and CEO Dan Halstrom