U.S. Meat Export Federation elects Dennis Stiffler as its chairman

The U.S. Meat Export Federation at last week’s Strategic Planning Conference in Tucson, Ariz., elected Dennis Stiffler as its chairman.Stiffler, who is president of Texas Division, Halpern’s Steak and Seafood, headquartered in Atlanta, recently retired as chief executive officer of Mountain States Rosen, a fabricator, processor and distributor of lamb and veal products.Stiffler has 30 years of livestock, meat industry and international marketing experience, and spent 10 years at major universities involved in teaching, research and extension services. During his tenure in academia, Stiffler traveled abroad on numerous occasions representing both USMEF and the U.S. Grains Council in education and market development programs.“From a business standpoint, we are in the business of moving product into markets, and to do that you have to match science with consumer preferences,” said Stiffler.As previously announced, Dan Halstrom succeeded Philip Seng as USMEF president on Sept. 1 and will assume the title of president and CEO on Dec. 1.Conley Nelson is the new USMEF chair-elect. Nelson is general manager of Smithfield Foods’ hog production division in the company’s five-state Midwest region and served as president of the National Pork Board in 2012-13.Serving as USMEF vice chair is Idaho cattle feeder Cevin Jones, who operates Intermountain Beef, a custom feedlot.The newest USMEF officer is Secretary-Treasurer Pat Binger of Wichita, Kan., who heads international sales for Cargill Protein Group. A 30-year Cargill employee, Binger first became involved with USMEF more than 25 years ago.USMEF members also approved a resolution on market access for U.S. lamb – an amended version of a resolution originally adopted in 2012. It notes that U.S. lamb recently gained access to Taiwan and Guatemala but voices support for U.S. government efforts to negotiate access in key Asian and South American markets that remain closed due to issues related to transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE).Seng told attendees that while a free trade agreement with Japan is sorely needed, he doesn’t see U.S.-Japan negotiations anywhere on the horizon.“The Japanese government has made it clear in its public statements that it doesn’t want to discuss an FTA with the United States at this point in time,” Seng said, noting that Japan is deeply involved in negotiations with the remaining participants in the Trans-Pacific Partnership.Also during the conference, Anne Dawson, a senior trade advisor in her 19th year of service with USDA’s Foreign Agriculture Service, received the USMEF Distinguished Service Award. The award recognizes an individual for leadership and lifetime contributions toward the achievement of USMEF’s export goals.