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Kelpinski to lead Michigan Pork

Mary Kelpinski will lead the Michigan Pork Producers Association as the Chief Executive Officer starting January 1^st.

Kelpinski says 2016 has been a difficult year for pork producers which has led to some reorganization at that checkoff.  “We are on a very tight budget right now and the 2016 budget was cut three times during the year, so we really had to cut pack on some of the programming that we can do.”

She says funding for the Michigan pork checkoff is based on the market price producers receive and when producers experience tough times, so do they.  “It’s all collected nationally, so all of the funds go into the National Pork Board and then we get 29 percent back to the state to spend in state promotions and such.”

Kelpinski had served as the organization’s Executive Director since the mid-1990s and a previous director of communications. She says the former CEO Sam Hines will be stepping into a part-time role after leading the organization for more than 30 years.

AUDIO: Interview with Mary Kelpinski