|
|
Chair and vice-chair elected for Office of the Texas State Chemist advisory committeeTexas Two members from the agriculture industry have been elected to serve as chair and vice-chair for the advisory committee of the Office of The State Chemist, a state department administratively housed by Texas AgriLife Research. Ben Weinheimer, vice president of the Texas Cattle Feeders Association based in Amarillo, and Mark Stenho, manufacturing operations manager for the southwestern region of Land O' Lakes Purina Feed in Fort Worth, were elected to these respective leadership roles during a fall 2009 meeting in College Station. "Ben and Mark provide stellar leadership to our advisory committee, which provides oversight and guidance on regulatory issues throughout the feed and fertilizer sector," said Dr. Tim Herrman, director of the Office of The State Chemist, headquartered at Texas A&M University in College Station. "I am equally impressed by the skill and leadership provided by other members of our advisory committee. In today's complex agribusiness environment, these individuals assist in making sound, science-based decisions that protect animal and human health, the environment, and consumers while enabling the feed and fertilizer industry to thrive in Texas." The state chemist's office includes two units: the Texas Feed and Fertilizer Control Service and the Agricultural Analytical Service. It provides inspection and laboratory services as part of surveillance and monitoring of livestock feed, food and fertilizer-related environmental hazards. Weinheimer works with cattle feed yards to resolve specific regulatory issues and is responsible for several of the association's service programs, including Beef Safety and Quality Assurance Program, Employee Safety Services Program, Environmental Services Program, and the USDA-approved Quality Systems Assessment Program for age and source verification of export cattle. He is also responsible for the association's research programs and funding. He first joined Texas Cattle Feeders Association in 1995 as regulator manager and was named vice president in March 2006. For more information about the Office of The State Chemist, visit http://otsc.tamu.edu.
|
|
