Popular Pig

Patrick Fleming is the vice president of demand development for National Pork Board. Fleming leads the marketing and domestic demand team on a revolutionary, data-driven approach to make pork more relevant to more Americans. His return to NPB coincides with the culmination of an 18-month effort funded by the Pork Checkoff to develop and deploy new consumer market research and insights across the pork industry.

Fleming and his team focus on developing a consumer-facing campaign designed to win more hearts and minds for pork, in particular Millennial and Gen Z Americans, whose consumption of pork continues to decline. Fleming guides his team day-to-day on priorities related to consumer demand, multicultural marketing, food service and retail support, packer/processor collaboration and human nutrition strategies for NPB with input and direction from the producer-led board of directors.

Wesley Lack – Pork Regional Business Director for Zoetis.

Wes started with Zoetis in November of 2022 as Area Business Manager on the beef team in Iowa.  In June he was promoted to his new role as Pork Regional Business Director leading the US pork team.

Wes grew up on a farming operation in Hatch, NM and graduated from New Mexico State University with a bachelor’s in Ag Economics and Business.

He currently resides in Afton, IA, with his wife, April, and three children, Kaylin, Austin, and Kathryn.

Greg Hastings serves as the Senior Director of Commercial Excellence & Business Development at Neogen. In this role, he oversees Neogen’s Animal Safety R&D and Data Analytics teams. Greg is a passionate advocate for animal agriculture and actively engages in evaluating and contributing to the development of new technologies and services that offer benefits to owners and employees of animal production practices worldwide.

Throughout his career at Neogen, Greg has played a pivotal role in developing and implementing various animal health products, including detectable needle usage in animal production. A Purdue University graduate, Greg currently resides in Richmond, Kentucky with his wife, Denise.

Dominic Vitucci Bio

Dominic was always poised to disrupt the tax industry. To get the required hours for the CPA, he decided to study both accounting and computer science. With two degrees in hand, Dominic started his career as integral part of the Grant Thornton Tax Innovation team.

Throughout his tenure, he had the unique opportunity to interact with firm experts, each sharing their ambitious visions for cutting-edge technologies. In August 2020, inspired by these encounters, he made the bold decision to leave Grant Thornton and devote himself full-time to building a truly innovative R&D credit technology.

Hillary Dubé Bio

Hillary Dubé is a dynamic professional who transitioned into the R&D Tax Credit Industry in 2019 working for a multinational credits and incentives firm, after a successful, nearly decade long career in the corporate Beauty Industry. Through her work in R&D Credits, she had the opportunity to meet and assist numerous pork producers in the United States with their R&D Tax credit needs, leading her to develop a strong affinity for the pork industry and agriculture at large.

Hillary’s transition to SPRX last year provides a unique perspective and has enabled her to effectively connect with pork producers to streamline their R&D tax credit process to minimize time spent, while maximizing their benefits. Her dedication to the pork industry and passion for fostering this new innovative approach within agriculture have positioned her as a respected leader in the industry.

Martijn Schippers, a driven entrepreneur from the Netherlands, began his journey in business at the age of 15, co-founding a successful employment agency with his siblings. Over the course of a decade, Martijn helped grow the company from the ground up, eventually selling it after reaching $8 million in revenue and employing 20 staff members.

In 2022, Martijn joined The Schippers Group, a family business started by his grandfather in 1966, which has evolved into a global leader in farm biosecurity. As the General Manager of Schippers USA, Martijn relocated to the United States with a mission to expand the HyCare program. His focus is on delivering comprehensive biosecurity solutions that not only supply high-quality products but also provide the right application, coaching, and monitoring to ensure optimal results. These initiatives are designed to create cleaner living environments and drinking water on farms, ultimately reducing antibiotic usage and enhancing animal performance.

Martijn’s innovative approach and dedication to the industry have positioned him as a key figure in the U.S. expansion of The Schippers Group. He continues to lead efforts in improving farm biosecurity and driving the company’s mission forward.

Want to know more about Schippers USA or join our team? Visit our website: www.schippersusa.com.

Dave Parks is an engineer at SwineTech with a diverse background in agriculture and technology. Raised in South Central Kansas, Dave grew up with hands-on experience at his grandparents’ small sow finishing farm. He graduated from Kansas State University with a degree in secondary education, emphasizing computers. Dave spent years in the public school system, where he taught computer technology and developed mobile apps and cloud computing solutions to enhance educational processes.

At SwineTech, he has been pivotal in developing key app features like Prop 12 compliance and split suckling tracking, improving efficiency in pork production. His blend of agricultural roots and technological expertise drives his innovative contributions to the pork industry. Dave’s experiences in Nashville, meeting country stars, and how karaoke unexpectedly changed his life for the better add a unique dimension to his journey.

Bill Even is the Chief Executive Officer of the National Pork Board. With extensive experience in agriculture and leadership, he directs programs to build trust and add value for the nation’s 60,000 pork producers. His responsibilities include strategic marketing, research, and supporting producer initiatives.

Dr. David Newman is the Senior Vice President of Market Growth at the National Pork Board. A third-generation pork producer and meat scientist, Dr. Newman leads efforts to understand consumer behavior and drive demand for pork. He focuses on innovative marketing strategies to position pork as a preferred protein.

Brent Hershey is the owner and President of Hershey Ag, a company he formed in 1980. Growing up on the family farm, Brent raised steers, grew tobacco and corn, and worked alongside his father and uncle in an egg layer house. Over the years, he has expanded Hershey Ag to include swine production, a dairy feed division, and a dairy ventilation business.

Brent’s commitment to valuing and growing people from within has been a cornerstone of his management strategy, particularly across his sow farm management team. His greatest accomplishments include achieving superior production systems by promoting quality and efficiency from sow breeding and birthing to growing excellent market hogs. Brent embraces change and progress in the ag industry, always striving to be better today than yesterday.

Brent and his wife, Lisa, live in Mount Joy and are the parents of three children. He enjoys skiing, motorcycling, hunting, the beach, and spending time with family.

Drew Ott, a former Iowa Hawkeye football player, balances life on his Nebraska family farm with his wife, Kali, who he met at the University of Iowa where she played basketball. Married since 2017, Drew and Kali integrate modern agricultural techniques and traditional farming practices, navigating the challenges of family farming while fostering a deep connection to their rural roots and each other.

Barb grew up on a diversified farm in west central Illinois where she was active in 4-H and then attended the University of Illinois where she majored in Ag Communications. Her career includes farming, livestock publication experience, animal health sales, and small business ownership.

After college Barb worked in Omaha and Kansas City before moving to Cedar Rapids, Iowa to begin her animal health sales career. While working with dairy farmers and pork producers throughout Iowa, Barb met her future husband at a pork industry trade show. They were married in September 1981 and Barb dove head-first into being a farm wife.

In addition to farming and her work at Heartland Marketing Group, Barb served on the National Pork Producers Council Board of Directors and was President of the organization in 2001-2002. She has served on numerous committees and task forces for both NPPC and National Pork Board. Barb was chosen to serve on the United States Animal Health Association Executive Committee and was president of the organization in 2018. She was also nominated by Iowa’s governor to serve on the Iowa Great Places Advisory Board and was named chairman in 2022. She completed six years on the Iowa 4-H Foundation Board of Trustees, serving as Chairman in 2012. In February 2024, Barb and Steve were honored with the Foundation’s Outstanding Individual Supporters Award.

Barb and Steve continue to farm and are the parents of three grown children: Andy (wife, Sally), Dan, and Kourtney. They are also grandparents of Lucy, Archie, and Eli. Together they are leaders of the Early Achievers 4-H Club and active members of the Early United Methodist Church.