The Swine Health Information Center (SHIC) has announced the installation of its new Board of Directors, bringing together leaders from across the pork industry to guide the organization’s mission in disease preparedness, monitoring, and targeted research.
This summer, SHIC welcomed Alayne Johnson of Shady Grove Farms in Indiana and Sarah Pillen of Pillen Family Farms and DNA Genetics in Nebraska as new members of the nine-person board.
The full SHIC Board includes:
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Appointed by the National Pork Board: Dr. Seth Krantz, Alayne Johnson
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Appointed by the National Pork Producers Council: Dr. Jeremy Pittman, Joseph Dykhuis
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Appointed by the American Association of Swine Veterinarians: Dr. Jay Miller, Dr. Paul Ruen
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Elected Members: Sarah Pillen, Kent Bang, Dr. Pete Thomas
Dr. Paul Ruen serves as President, Joe Dykhuis as Vice President, and Kent Bang as Secretary-Treasurer.
Governance and Vision
SHIC Executive Director Dr. Megan Niederwerder says the organization benefits greatly from the collective insight and leadership of its board:
“This nine-member board provides governance for the organization — setting direction, ensuring resources, and overseeing the mission and execution of SHIC. Each member brings valuable insight from their corner of the industry on how we can best fulfill that mission.”
Dr. Niederwerder emphasized SHIC’s continued commitment to collaboration across the pork sector:
“Because emerging diseases are central to our mission, priorities can change overnight. We encourage anyone with a vested interest in swine health to reach out — producer input helps us allocate resources where they deliver the most value.”
With this new leadership team, SHIC continues to strengthen its proactive approach to identifying, researching, and mitigating health threats across the pork industry.
For more on SHIC’s ongoing work, visit swinehealth.org.
