Longstanding NARA executive set to retire
Dr David L Meeker, senior vice president, the North American Renderers Association (NARA), and director of research for NARA’s research arm, the Fats and Proteins Research Foundation (FPRF), is retiring at the end of the year.
Earlier this month he was awarded the 2022 Don Franco Distinguished Service Award for his leadership and longtime commitment to the rendering industry, NARA, and the association’s research and related programs.
Dr Meeker has spent more than 18 years at NARA.
He previously served in scientific and management positions at the National Turkey Federation and National Pork Producers Council, served as director of the Board on Agriculture and Natural Resources at the National Academy of Sciences, and was an associate professor at The Ohio State University.
Over the past three decades, he has been an advisor to numerous governmental, professional, and business organizations in the US and internationally. He is past president of the US Animal Health Association, a member of the scientific advisory panel of the World Renderers Organization (WRO). He is also a former member of the USDA Secretary’s Advisory Committee on Animal Health.
During his time with NARA, he served as the scientific and technical advisor to the North American rendering industry on science, animal disease, and feed safety issues. In his role as FPRF Research Director he was instrumental to programs and research conducted by the foundation to include designing the plan for NARA to manage FPRF for increased administrative efficiencies and assisting in expanding the foundation’s donor base.
Dr Meeker has launched and managed multiple successful programs and projects during his tenure at NARA, noted the organization. He has successfully navigated the association through numerous negotiations including FDA rulemaking concerning bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), as well as rulemaking for the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA).
He helped to guide NARA and its members through several salmonella, poultry and swine diseases unfairly being blamed on rendered products, and also initiated a collaborative research effort that resulted in the creation of the Pet Food Alliance.
Photo: Michael Smith, NARA Chairman (Left) presenting award to Dr David Meeker (Right)