All change at the top at AAFCO

The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) has named Austin Therrell as its new executive director.

Therrell brings a mix of leadership, innovation and deep experience in animal-feed and state regulation to the organization, it said.

The timing is ideal, said AAFCO. With a growing focus on animal-feed regulation in the US and around the world, Therrell is well placed to guide and support AAFCO’s vision, mission, strategic objectives, and initiatives for promoting a safe feed supply through unified system-based regulation, feed-ingredient standards, and laboratory operations, noted the regulatory body.

He will report to AAFCO’s board of directors, while working alongside AAFCO’s members to ensure they have the tools and resources needed to succeed within the association and their individual states.

Therrell has already been active within AAFCO, having served on its board of directors, and having co-chaired the feed and feed ingredient manufacturing committee.

He has also been a member of its pet food committee and led many workgroups drafting and revising guidelines.

Therrell has worked with numerous feed industry trade associations on a wide range of initiatives.

Previously, he held multiples roles within the feed regulatory program at the South Carolina Department of Agriculture (SCDA). During his time there, he oversaw the development and implementation of improvement plans and a new feed registration system, expanded the agency’s regulatory authority throughout the state, managed FDA feed contracts and inspections, and implemented animal feed regulatory program standards (AFRPS).