WASHINGTON – Kincannon & Reed, and executive recruitment firm, will manage the search for potential successors to George Watts as president of the National Chicken Council, said Bernard Leonard, NCC chairman. Watts will retire March 31, 2011, after serving as president for 38 years.

“The NCC Executive Committee selected Kincannon & Reed in view of its experience in finding qualified candidates for top executive positions in agriculture, the life sciences, and associations,” said Leonard, who is group vice president/Food Service, Tyson Foods Inc., Springdale, Ark. “We fully expect that finding a suitable replacement for George will be challenging, so we want to cast a wide net and work with an experienced and capable firm.”


Michael Cooper, K&R managing partner, and Greg Duerksen, president of the firm, will manage the search. The executive committee’s goal is to have a successor in place before Watts leaves at the end of March, Leonard said.