American Egg Board elects new executive committee

New American Egg Board chairman Paul Sauder, left, accepts the gavel from outgoing chairman Roger Deffner.
The American Egg Board (AEB) elected the 2014 executive committee at its March 13 board meeting. Paul Sauder of R.W. Sauder Inc., based in Lititz, Pa., was chosen as the newly elected chairman of American Egg Board.
"Every decision, every action, we take as a board should be made through the lens of whether the effort will help drive egg consumption during my term as chairman," said Sauder, who has served on the board during varying years since 1990 with more than 20 years of total service. "Immediate Past Chair Roger Deffner and his predecessor, Chris Pierce, left big shoes to fill, and I charge this group of board members and alternates with the task of earning the confidence of every egg farmer in America. We'll be looking at all AEB's expenditures and programs to make sure our return-on-investment continues to increase while driving egg consumption."
Others elected to the American Egg Board executive committee included:

• Blair Van Zetten, vice chairman, Oskaloosa Food Products, Oskaloosa, Iowa
• Scott Ramsdell, secretary, Dakota Layers, Flandreau, S.D.
• Clint Hickman, treasurer, Hickman's Egg Ranch, Buckeye, Ariz.
• Andrew Reichman, Parker & Reichman, Andrews, N.C.
• Tom Hertzfeld II, Hertzfeld Poultry Farms, Grand Rapids, Ohio
This meeting also was the first for Tim E. Floyd, L&R Farms, Hartwell, Ga., as an alternate representing the South Atlantic states and Richard A. Patmos, Sunrise Acres, Hudsonville, Mich., as a member representing the East North Central states.
Larry Thomason of Larry Thomason Egg Farm, Calhoun, Ga., and Greg Herbruck, Herbruck Poultry Ranch, Saranac, Mich., rotated off AEB's board and were thanked for their service to the industry.
Immediate Past Chairman Roger Deffner, National Food Corp., Everett, Wash., expressed his appreciation to the board for the opportunity to serve since 2008 and to AEB's committee chairs  who provide their leadership throughout the year, and to all those who have shared input and feedback on AEB's programs.
"Stay focused, and don't lose sight of the big picture and its supporting details," said Deffner. "The details are where success is often found. If all our efforts answer the questions 'Are we wisely spending our investment? Will this result in more egg sales?' and answers are yes, then we'll exceed our mission to drive sales of eggs and egg products."
The board meeting included updates from each of AEB's Committees including details on the 2013 measureable objectives, 2014 Easter outreach, research, Dunkin' Donuts partnership, Good Egg Project and more. AEB's July board meeting will take place July 9-10 in Rosemont, Ill.