Downes Elected as New Chairman

RYAN DOWNES ELECTED NEW CHAIRMAN OF BOARD AT USAPEEC

STONE MOUNTAIN, Ga. - (June 20, 2018) - Ryan Downes, sales and marketing director at Farbest Foods in Jasper, Ind., has been elected chairman of the board of the USA Poultry & Egg Export Council (USAPEEC) for 2018-19.

Downes succeeds outgoing Chairman Marc Killebrew, vice president of international sales at Tyson Foods in Springdale, Ark. His election came Thursday during USAPEEC’s annual meeting in Costa Rica.

As chairman, Downes will head the USAPEEC Board of Directors, which sets policy and provides direction to USAPEEC, an organization whose mission is to promote and increase exports of U.S. chicken, turkey, duck, and egg products worldwide. He has been on the USAPEEC Board of Directors since 2010.

“It is my absolute privilege to have the honor of serving as USAPEEC chairman this year,” Downes said. “I am truly humbled to be elected by our member companies, and I fully respect the fact that I have some large shoes to fill, given the incredible work done by former chairpersons. This organization strives every day to make sure that healthy, safe, and top quality U.S. poultry and eggs are distributed in an effort to feed the world.”

Downes has been director of sales at Farbest Foods in Jasper, Ind., for the last six years. He began his career at Farbest 13 years ago in entry-level sales and worked his way up to international sales and his current position.

Indiana-based Farbest Foods provides a number of leading brand-name food producers with fresh and frozen turkey meat and parts. Branded foods made with Farbest turkey products are found in grocery stores, restaurants, delicatessens, schools, and many other outlets in the United States and around the world.

### 

About USAPEEC

Founded in 1984, the USA Poultry & Egg Export Council (USAPEEC) is a non-profit, industry-sponsored trade organization dedicated to increasing exports of U.S. poultry and egg food products in all foreign markets. USAPEEC's world headquarters is located in Stone Mountain, Georgia, near Atlanta. In addition, the council has offices in Hong Kong, Mexico City, and Singapore, and retains consultants in Beijing, Europe, Johannesburg, Monterrey, Moscow, Middle East, New Delhi, New Zealand, Seoul, Shanghai, and Tokyo.