Barbara Jenkins will maintain her role as VP of education and student programs with USPOULTRY.
“Barbara started with us almost 18 years ago as an administrative assistant. Through her own hard work and continuing her education, she has continuously grown throughout her career. Frankly, some of this promotion finally recognizes things she is already doing and some is based on our desire to further direct her efforts toward student recruitment,” said John Starkey, president of USPOULTRY and the USPOULTRY Foundation. “Ask any group of poultry and egg industry executives, and I’m sure they will tell you that finding young talent is near the top of their list of priorities. This move will allow us to utilize Barbara’s proven skills to extend our reach in student recruitment.”
One of Jenkin’s primary responsibilities includes managing the annual collegiate recruiting grants program, interacting with FFA to bring National Officer Candidates and the Top 10 Poultry Evaluation and Food Science and Technology Career Development Event teams to the International Processing and Production Expo (IPPE) for a special program. She’s also responsible for bringing students from more than a dozen Latin American universities to IPPE. These programs are designed to introduce students to the wide array of career paths in the poultry and egg industry.
Jenkins began her career with USPOULTRY in 2000, working in various positions in the Education Program. She was promoted to vice president of education programs in 2011, and she has been in charge of the student programs since 2014. In 2016, Jenkins was recognized with an Honorary American Degree by the National FFA Organization.
Jenkins will continue to report to Starkey in both roles.
