The National Pork Board honored two retiring producer members and its outgoing president during the National Pork Industry Forum March 5-7 in Dallas, Texas.

Steve Weaver, a pork producer from Elk Grove, Calif., was recognized for serving as president of the National Pork Board. Weaver will continue to serve through August, leading the nation's pork producers in overseeing Checkoff investments.

"As president, Steve led the industry during a particularly difficult time," said Tim Bierman, a pork producer from Larrabee, Iowa and National Pork Board vice president. "Steve brought the business perspective to the Board in a time when producers were struggling to remain profitable because of the highest feed costs in history; animal rights advocates took aim at production practices; the national economy presented the greatest challenges since the Great Depression. He never wavered from his belief that pork producers working together can surmount almost any challenge."

In addition to serving as president, Weaver serves on the Compensation Committee, and the Administrative Committee.

Dianne Bettin, a pork producer from Truman, Minn., and Dennis Michael, a pork producer from Yankton, S.D., were honored for six years of service to the National Pork Board.

Bettin, a producer who has 350 sows and markets 6,000 pigs annually, serves on the Demand Enhancement Committee, Nutrition Committee, Audit Committee, Pork Safety Committee and the Plan of Work and Budget Task Force.

Michael, a producer who operates a farrow-to-finish hog operation and is 50 percent partner of BPM Seedstock, a 250 sow, farrow-to-finish, seedstock operation, serves on the Producer Services Committee and the Administrative Committee. He also has served on the Audit Committee and the Demand Enhancement Committee.

The National Pork Board consists of 15 members, each serving a maximum of two three-year terms. The Pork Act requires that no fewer than 12 states be represented by the 15 Pork Board members.