FAPC Industry Advisory Committee holds fall meeting
Contact: Mandy Gross
FAPC Communications Services Manager
mandy.gross@okstate.edu
405.744.0422
11-20-2008
STILLWATER, Okla. – The Industry Advisory Committee of the Robert M. Kerr Food & Agricultural Products Center, located on the campus of Oklahoma State University, met recently at the FAPC to discuss food and agricultural issues.
“The Industry Advisory Committee offers counsel, makes decisions and takes leadership action to ensure the FAPC makes sound short- and long-term plans to accomplish its mission and objectives,” said J. Roy Escoubas, FAPC director.
John Griffin, chair of the committee and president of Griffin Food Co. in Muskogee, presided over the meeting.
“The committee meetings give us an opportunity to see the projects the FAPC faculty and staff are working on and the events that are being planned,” Griffin said. “The meetings are a good way to keep us informed, so we are able to provide the necessary leadership.”
During the meeting, the committee members participated in an oilseed technology and biodiesel demonstration presented by Nurhan Dunford, FAPC oil/oilseed chemist, and had an open session with FAPC faculty and staff members to discuss hot topics within the food and agricultural industries.
In addition, Sean Cummings, restaurateur and talk radio host in Oklahoma City, led a discussion about innovation in the foodservice industry.
Members of the committee include Griffin; Danny Dupree, Bar-S Food Co.; Bill Wiley, Oklahoma Refrigerated Services; Tommy Kramer, Durant Economic Development Authority; Jill Stichler, Redland Juice Co.; Gary Crane, Ralph’s Packing Co.; David Howard, Unitherm Food Systems Inc.; Rodger Kerr, Southwest Technology Center; David McLaughlin, Advance Food Co.; Jay Cowart, Plains Cotton Cooperative Association; Gary Conkling, Producers Cooperative Oil Mill; Paul Schatte, Head Country Bar-B-Q; Charles Nichols, Davison & Sons Cattle Co.; Virgil Jurgensmeyer, J-M Farms; and John Williams, Chef’s Requested Foods.
The FAPC has the privilege of oversight by this committee of Oklahoma agricultural and business leaders, appointed by the highest positions of Oklahoma state government, Escoubas said.
“Through the visionary leadership of certain state representatives and senators, such as Sens. Bruce Price, Paul Muegge and the late Bob Kerr and Rep. M.C. Leist, State Statute 2-5-60 was established in 1997 to provide an advisory committee for the FAPC,” Escoubas said.
The governor, the speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives and the president pro tempore of the Oklahoma Senate each appoint four members to the FAPC Industry Advisory Committee. The vice president, dean and director of OSU’s Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources serves as a non-voting member and also appoints three members to the committee.
The positions that are required by state statute include national food processors operating in Oklahoma, Oklahoma food processors, Made-In-Oklahoma representatives, economic development representatives and representatives from the food and agribusiness marketing and transportation sectors. Also, included are a representative for the fiber and textile industry, representatives for the industrial and pharmaceutical sectors and representatives of production agriculture.
The mission of the FAPC is to discover, develop and deliver technical and business information that will stimulate and support the growth of value-added food and agricultural products and processing in Oklahoma.
The FAPC has assisted more than 1,000 Oklahoma businesses through 3,000 technical and business projects. An economic impact study found the combined direct, indirect and induced economic contributions of FAPC client companies were $6.3 billion and generated 52,000 jobs.
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