In addition, candidates are being sought for two open seats on the Board's Nominating Committee to serve two-year terms starting in 2012. Nominees may be submitted by state pork producer associations, farm organizations and anyone who pays the Pork Checkoff.

Any person who is a pork producer or importer and has paid all Checkoff assessments due, or is a representative of a producer/company that produces hogs/pigs, is eligible to serve on the National Pork Checkoff Board. The 15 positions on the Checkoff board are held by pork producers or importers who volunteer their time.

USDA sees the pursuit of diversity in Board membership as an opportunity for embracing new ideas that will enable the board to better serve its customers. The goal is to increase diversity through greater participation of persons with a variety of knowledge, skills, and abilities; diverse size and type of operation, diversity of perspectives and opinions, diversity of marketing strategies, diversity of methods of production and distribution, diversity of gender, ethnicity and other distinguishing factors.

Seats expiring July 2012 are currently held by:

• Randy Brown, Ohio - Not Eligible for reelection
• Jan Miller, Nebraska - Eligible for election to a 3-year term
• Lisa Colby, Massachusetts - Eligible for reelection to a 3-year term
• Brad Greenway, South Dakota - Eligible for reelection to a 3-year term
• Dale Norton, Michigan - Eligible for reelection to a 3-year term

The Pork Checkoff Nominating Committee will solicit, interview, evaluate and recommend candidates to the Pork Act Delegate Body at the annual meeting 1-3 March 2012, in Denver, Colorado. A slate of eight producers will be elected and submitted to the US Secretary of Agriculture who will appoint five producers to serve 3-year terms on the National Pork Checkoff Board.

The application deadline is 1 December. Please direct application requests and questions to the National Pork Checkoff Board either by mail to 1776 NW 114th St, Clive, IA 50325, by telephone to Teresa Wadsworth at 515-223-2612, or e-mail [email protected].

The National Pork Checkoff Board consists of 15 members, each serving a maximum of two three-year terms. The Pork Act requires that no fewer than 12 states be represented by the 15 Pork Board members. At the time of election, these states will be represented by the board members whose positions on the board are not due for election: Illinois, Iowa, Oklahoma, Missouri, Minnesota, Kansas, Oregon, North Carolina, Georgia.