WASHINGTON – The National Chicken Council (NCC) elected new officers for 2014-2015, and installed Jerry Lane, president of Claxton Poultry, as chairman, the NCC announced. The elections were held during the NCC's 60th Annual Conference in Washington. Officers serve one-year terms. 

Jerry Lane

Lane is a 35-year veteran of Georgia's poultry industry. He began his career with Mar-Jac Poultry in 1978 before joining Claxton Poultry in 1985. During his time at Claxton Poultry, Lane has served as general manager and vice president. He was promoted to president of the company in 1997.

"It's a great honor to take the gavel from Mike Helgeson and serve as the incoming chair for the National Chicken Council," Lane said. "As an industry, and as an organization, we can be proud of the tremendous progress we've made and the improvements we've achieved that would have been unthinkable years ago. But we can do even better, and we will. To assist me during my term as NCC chairman, I'm fortunate to be working with a talented group of officers – Todd Simmons and Mike Popowycz – and I'm looking forward to the coming year."

His many leadership roles in local and national poultry groups include the NCC Board of Directors; the Georgia Governors Agriculture Commission; president, senior vice president and board member of the Georgia Poultry Federation; past chairman, Georgia Poultry Improvement Association; and a board member of N.W. Fries, Inc. and Claxton Bank. He also is a life member of the Poultry Leaders Roundtable.

Lane has a Bachelor of Industrial and Systems Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology, and a MBA from Brenau Univ.

Todd Simmons and Mike Popowycz

Todd Simmons, CEO of Simmons Foods, Siloam Springs, Ark. will serve as vice chairman of NCC. Simmons joined the company in 1994 following his graduation from Georgetown Univ. He previously served six years as COO of both Poultry and Pet Food divisions of the company.

Mike Popowycz, vice chairman and CFO at Case Foods in Troutman, NC, is NCC's secretary-treasurer. He joined the Ohio Division of Case Foods in 1987 as corporate controller. He has served in various leadership positions with the company including corporate treasurer and CFO. He was promoted to vice chairman and CEO in February 2012.

Popowycz holds a B.A. in accounting from Moravian College in Bethlehem, Pa.