Pic picked for poultry hall of fame | Free News

Wayne-Sanderson Farms’ senior vice president and general manager of retail Bob “Pic” Billingsley was inducted into the Mississippi Poultry Association’s Hall of Fame during the association’s 85th annual convention. He is the 36th member of the Mississippi Poultry Hall of Fame, which is comprised of individuals who contributed to the growth of the poultry industry as the state’s largest agricultural commodity.

 “It is an honor to be inducted into the hall of fame, where many accomplished industry leaders have been recognized for their contributions to advancing the poultry industry in the state of Mississippi,” Billingsley said. “Serving the association as a chairman and member of the board of directors for many years makes this award even more meaningful.”

 Billingsley has been a member of Wayne-Sanderson Farms’ senior leadership team since its inception in July as an industry leader and the nation’s third-largest poultry producer. Prior to the acquisition of Sanderson Farms and merger with Wayne Farms, Billingsley was an employee of Sanderson Farms for more than 38 years. He served on the company’s executive committee for more than three decades.

 During his tenure at Sanderson Farms, Billingsley oversaw site selection, design and construction for the last eight state-of-the-art poultry complexes the poultry producer built. In addition to his role in development and engineering, he served on the company’s corporate compensation committee and crisis management committee.

 “Wayne-Sanderson Farms is proud to have a member of the company’s senior leadership team inducted into the Mississippi Poultry Association’s Hall of Fame,” said Clint Rivers, president and CEO of Wayne-Sanderson Farms. “Pic has been committed to growing the poultry industry for nearly 40 years now, so this honor is very much deserved.”

 Founded in 1937, the Mississippi Poultry Association is based in Pearl and promotes the health of the state’s poultry flock through educational seminars for members while seeking to educate the public and government officials about the value of the poultry industry to the state. Since 1973, individuals inducted into the hall of fame are selected by a committee of previous inductees in an effort to honor the individuals’ work to promote the Mississippi poultry industry.    

 Billingsley has dedicated nearly four decades of his career to the success of the industry, including serving on the board of directors for the Mississippi Poultry Association. He was the association’s chairman for four terms.

 In addition to serving the industry on the state level, Billingsley has also served on the board of directors for the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association. Earlier this year, the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association selected Billingsley as the recipient of its annual Lamplighter Award, which pays tribute to individuals demonstrating sustained and exemplary service to the poultry and egg industry.

 A graduate of Delta State University, Billingsley earned an accounting degree and a Masters of Business Administration degree before joining the poultry industry shortly after graduation. Since earning his degrees, he has been inducted into the university’s hall of fame as an honored graduate.

 Billingsley is also avidly involved in educational initiatives and civic organizations. He serves on the Laurel Airport Authority’s board of directors and has served on boards for the Association for Excellence in Education, the Salvation Army and the Laurel/Jones County Dixie Youth Baseball Association. He was awarded the Jones County School District Parent of the Year and the Robert E. Gaddis Education Award.

Wayne-Sanderson Farms is an industry leader and the nation’s third-largest poultry producer with an industry-leading workforce of more than 26,000 people. It owns and operates 23 facilities across Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, North Carolina and Texas. For more, go to waynesandersonfarms.com.

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