About the Mississippi Poultry Association
Poultry is Mississippi’s largest agricultural industry, and the Mississippi Poultry Association represents all aspects of the industry.
Mississippi has 50 processing plants, hatcheries, feed mills, and egg farms, as well as 1,700 family-run poultry farms around the state. These businesses interact with banks, real estate firms, insurance agencies, farm supply stores, grain farmers, and plant and poultry house equipment manufacturers – many of whom are allied members of the association.
Mississippi produces about 710 million birds per year, ranking it the sixth largest poultry producing state in the nation. Mississippi exports about 15-20% of its production to 65 countries around the globe.
Mississippi’s poultry industry and its employees pay an estimated $1.07 billion in federal taxes and $19.3 million in state and local taxes.
For more information about our industry or association, please look around our website or contact the MPA at 601-932-7560.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
The following are members of the MPA Executive Committee and members who serve on other boards. (*Denotes members of the Executive Committee)
Chairman of the Board
Paul Billingsley*,
Wayne-Sanderson Farms
Vice Chairman of the Board
James Faison*
Mar-Jac Poultry
Treasurer
Dr. Ryn Laster*
Cal Maine Foods, Inc.
Immediate Past Chairman of the Board
Ed Fletcher*,
KochFoods
Past Chairman of the Board
Bobby James*,
Amick Farms, LLC
Executive Committee Member at Large
Anthony DeLee*
Peco Foods, Inc.
President
Mark Leggett*,
MPA, Inc.
Chairman of the Grower Advisory Committee
Kevin Rhodes
Koch Foods
Board of Animal Health
Dr. Randi Cran
Wayne Sanderson Farms
NCC Leader
Clay Adkins
International Paper
U.S. Poultry & Egg Association
Clay Adkins
International Paper
Executive Committee Member at Large
Scott McKinion
Tyson Foods, Inc.
DIRECTORS
2025-2027
Alan Ezelle, Peco Foods, Inc.
Allen Magee, Tyson Foods, Inc.
Sammy Compton, Grower, Tyson Foods, Inc.
Craig Rogers, Mar-Jac Poultry MS, LLC
2026-2028
Scott Seabrook, Cantrell-Gainco
Ty Clark, Amick Farms, LLC.
Les Nemec, Tyson Foods, Inc.
Peter McKinley, Grower, Wayne-Sanderson Farms, Inc.
2027-2029
Craig Byrd, Peco Foods, Inc.
Clay Adkins, International Paper
Erick Erickson, Wayne-Sanderson Farms, Inc.
Ken Upton, Grower, Wayne-Sanderson Farms, Inc.
Advisory Board
Henry Welch, retired from Peco Foods, Inc.
Dr. Wallace Morgan, Retired, Poultry Science Head, Mississippi State University
Dr. Yvonne Vizzier-Thaxton, Retired, Poultry Science Head, Mississippi State University
Mack Walker, Retired, Tyson Foods, Inc.
Steve McLaurin, Retired, Peco Foods, Inc.
Dr. Danny Magee, Retired, MSU PRDL
Ex-Officio Members
Dr. Keith Coble, Vice President of Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University
Dr. Scott Willard, Dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences & Director of the Miss. Agriculture and Forestry Experiment Stations
Dr. Kenneth Macklin, Head of Poultry Science, Mississippi State University
Dr. James Watson, State Veterinarian, Director, State Board of Animal Health
Andy Gipson, Commissioner, Department of Agriculture and Commerce
Dr. Nicholas Frank, Dean, MSU, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University
Dr. Angus Catchot, Director, Mississippi State University Extension Services
GROWER ADVISORY COMMITTEE
The following members serve on the Grower Advisory Committee for the Mississippi Poultry Association.
Sean McDonald
Amick Farms
Jon Kilgore
Amick Farms
Billy Hyatt
Amick Farms
Josh Newcomb
Amick Farms
Stan Norwood
Amick Farms
Michelle Carter
Koch Foods
Brian Rhodes
Koch Foods
Kendall Hughes
Tyson Foods, Inc.
Darrin Campbell
Amick Farms
Kevin Rhodes
Chairman, MPA GAC
Koch Foods
Stanley Brewer
Mar-Jac Poultry
Jeren Ferguson
Mar-Jac Poultry
Ricky Boler
Peco Foods, Inc.
Josh Slay
Peco Foods, Inc.
Tonia Caldwell
Peco Foods, Inc.
David & Alene Robinson
Peco Foods, Inc.
Jon Wilson
Peco Foods, Inc.
Sammy Compton
Tyson Foods, Inc.
Todd Dupre
Tyson Foods, Inc.
Perry Feazell
Tyson Foods, Inc.
Dan Nguyen
Tyson Foods, Inc.
Kevin Shirk
Peco Foods, Inc.
Taylor Hickman
Wayne-Sanderson Farms, Inc.
Jimmy Dunn
Tyson Foods, Inc.
Peter McKinley
Wayne-Sanderson Farms, Inc.
Ken Upton
Wayne-Sanderson Farms, Inc.
HALL OF FAME
Each year the Mississippi Poultry Association recognizes a member who has provided outstanding support and service to the industry and association. Inductees into the MPA Hall of Fame are listed below. (Select the image for additional information.)
1973
B.C. Rogers, Sr.
Morton
B.C. Rogers
1973
Ray G. Purnell
Tupelo
Purnell’s Pride, Purnell’s Hatchery
1974
Joe Frank Sanderson, Sr.
Laurel
Sanderson Farms
1975
H.F. McCarty, Jr.
Magee
McCarty Farms
1976
Fred R. Adams, Jr.
Jackson
Cal-Maine
1977
C.T. Ramzy
Carthage
R&R Milling, R&R Poultry Industries
1978
James E. Hill
Starkville
Miss. State University
1979
Johnnie K. Jordan
Carthage
Arbor Acre Farms
1980
Dr. Earl C. Walsh
Forest
Green Acre Farms
1981
W.T. Tramel
Raleigh
Miss. Board of Animal Health
1982
Hugh Haralson, Jr.
Forest
Lady Forest Farms
1984
Fred L. Gaddis
Forest
Gaddis Packing Co., Gaddis Farms, Inc., Gaddis Hatcheries, Inc., Gaddis Feed Mill, Little Princess Packing Plant
1985
Joseph Paul Yount
Brandon
Miss. State University, MPA
1986
Joel E. Shipp
Jackson
Quaker Oats, Allied Mills, MPA
1987
Tam Etheridge
Carthage
R&R Poultry Industries, Poultry Packers, Inc., Choctaw Maid Farms
1988
Tom Sparks
Magee
McCarty Farms
1989
Jim Buck Ross
Pelahatchie
Miss. Dept. of Agriculture & Commerce
1990
Odell Johnson
Laurel
Sanderson Farms
1992
John M. Rogers, Sr.
Morton
B.C. Rogers
1994
Marshall Durbin, Jr.
Birmingham, AL
Marshall Durbin, Jr.
1995
Dr. Elbert Day
Starkville
Mississippi State University, consultant
2002
Joe Sanderson, Jr.
Laurel
Sanderson Farms
2003
Dr. Reagan Sadler
Sturgis
Miss.State University, Central Industries
2004
Denny Hickman
Tuscaloosa, AL
Peco Foods
2007
Dr. Wallace Morgan
Starkville
Miss. State University
2009
Van R. Bowman
Carthage
Choctaw Maid Farms, Green Acre Farms, Sanderson Farms, Peco grower
2010
Dr. J. Paul Thaxton
Starkville
Miss. State University
2011
Coyt C. “Bud” West
Laurel
Sanderson Farms
2012
Kenneth “Doc” Williams
Brandon
McCarty Farms, Choctaw Maid Farms, Tyson
2013
Dr. Robert Keirs
Starkville
Miss. State University
2014
Dr. Bruce Glick
Starkville
Miss. State University
2015
Henry Welch
Gordo, AL
Peco Foods
2016
Danny Thornton
Carthage
Miss. Board of Animal Health, Miss. State University, Peco grower
2017
Dr. Yvonne Vizzier-Thaxton
Jackson, MS
MFC Services, Marshall Durbin, Mississippi State University, Univ. of Ark.
2019
Mark Hickman
Tuscaloosa, AL
Peco Foods
2022
Pic Billingsley
Laurel
Wayne-Sanderson Farms, LLC
2023
Steve McLaurin
Moselle
Peco Foods
2024
Dr. Danny Magee
Pearl
PRDL, MSU
2025
Mack Walker
Forest
Tyson Foods
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