The North Carolina Poultry Federation (NCPF) hosted its 58th Annual Meeting from October 1–3 at the Grandover Resort & Conference Center in Greensboro, marking one of its largest gatherings to date. The three-day event featured record attendance, a golf tournament with both two-man and four-man scrambles, a sporting clays competition, evening entertainment by The Johnson Boys band, and several significant moments of recognition and transition within the organization.
“This year’s event marked several important milestones for the Federation, including recognizing our growers and leadership transitions within NCPF and its Board,” said newly elected President Tim Thomas. “It’s always rewarding to honor growers—the often unsung heroes of our industry—and we had some outstanding candidates this year. We also celebrated our longtime Executive Director, Bob Ford, who will retire at the end of the year, and welcomed our incoming Executive Director, Summer Lanier. Finally, I’m honored to have accepted the role of President and look forward to leading the Board of Directors in the coming year.”
Each year, NCPF recognizes outstanding poultry growers through its Environmental Stewardship Award, celebrating those who exemplify best management practices, engage actively in their communities, and demonstrate strong commitments to environmental sustainability. Outgoing President Cowan Johnson presented this year’s awards, with Bradley and Kay Leigh Parker of Parker’s Island Creek Farms in Duplin County—broiler producers with House of Raeford Farms—named as the 2025 Environmental Award winners.
The first runner-up honor went to Dan and Sonya Andrews and their son Tyler of Faith Farms in Robeson County, broiler producers with Mountaire Farms.
NCPF also paid tribute to Robert L. Ford, its longtime Executive Director, who is retiring at the end of 2025 after 21 years of dedicated service. Ford was recognized alongside his wife, Linda, for his leadership and lasting contributions to North Carolina’s poultry industry.
The Past President’s Award was presented to Cowan Johnson of House of Raeford by incoming President Tim Thomas of Butterball LLC, in appreciation of Johnson’s service and leadership over the past year.
During the third-quarter business meeting on October 3, NCPF installed its 2025–2026 Board of Directors. The new Executive Board includes:
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President: Tim Thomas, Butterball
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1st Vice President: Art Lankford, Butterball
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2nd Vice President: Matthew Wooten, Wayne-Sanderson Farms
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Secretary-Treasurer: Zach Evans, Mountaire Farms
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Immediate Past President: Cowan Johnson, House of Raeford
The full Board of Directors for 2025–2026 includes: Micah Abernathy (Pilgrim’s Pride), Chandler Adams (Carolina Feed Association), Dr. Brandon Armwood (Pilgrim’s Pride), Andrew Boyles (Tyson Foods), Jacob Caviness (Breeder Hatchery Association), Clay Lindley (Perdue Farms), Tommy Furlough (Cal-Maine Foods), Jeff Hancock (Unicon, Inc.), Todd Huneycutt (Huneycutt Brothers LP), Willie Jervis (Braswell Family Farms), Bob Johnson (House of Raeford), James Lee (Circle-S-Ranch), Dr. Armando Mirande (Mountaire Farms), Jon Pope (Jonathan Pope Farms), Tommy Porter, Jr. (Porter Farms), Scott Prestage (Prestage Farms), Alex Simpson (Simpson’s Eggs), Kevin Taylor (Case Farms), Jessica Tilley (Perdue Farms), Scott Vanhoy (Perdue Farms), and Mark Whitt (International Paper).
The meeting also featured friendly competition among members. Winners of the Sporting Clays Tournament were Josh Lemons (1st place), Jake Vuncannon (2nd place), and Wes Smith (3rd place).
In golf, the Four-Man Scramble team of Rob McKee, Neal Walsh, Chad Lawrence, and Barrett Barker took top honors, while Chandler Brazeal and Jonathan Brazeal won the Two-Man Scramble.
This year’s event not only celebrated the people and partnerships that keep North Carolina’s poultry industry strong but also highlighted a moment of leadership renewal and appreciation for decades of service that have shaped the Federation’s success.
