The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) has announced its 2019-2020 Pork Leadership Institute (PLI) class. PLI is a comprehensive training program conducted jointly by NPPC and the National Pork Board (NPB) and is designed to develop future leaders for the U.S. pork industry. Upon graduation, participants will understand the roles of NPPC and the NPB and will have developed the skills necessary to help lead an ever-changing pork industry and to tell the pork industry’s story from Main Street to the nation’s capital.

The 2019-2020 class met in Washington, D.C., for the first time in early September. The class has participants from 15 states, including Mark Wright from Fremont, Neb. Wright is the animal handling and welfare coordinator/assistant manager at Wiechman Pig Company, where he began his 30-year service to the swine industry in 1989. After graduating from college, he became a supervisor at the Fremont facility. In 1995, he was given the opportunity to help build and run the Wiechman Pig facility in Guymon, Okla. as the assistant manager. After a short career change, Mark returned to Wiechman in 2001. Mark currently serves as an alternate director on the NPPA board.