WASHINGTON — The National Pork Producers Council and the National Pork Board have kicked off the 2022 Pork Leadership Institute (PLI), a joint training program designed to develop future leaders for the U.S. pork industry.
Among the 18 professionals from across the nation selected to participate in this year-long experience, two members of the 2022 class reside in Oklahoma.
Dr. Jon Tangen serves as a swine veterinarian for The Hanor Company in Enid.
He directs veterinary health services for 46,000 sows in the Hanor system and oversees education for 200 employees related to animal care and biosecurity.
In 2021, Tangen and his family relocated from Iowa to Oklahoma for his new position with The Hanor Company. He enjoys traveling and sporting events.
Alex Villalobos serves as a senior production manager for The Maschhoffs, a multi-state pork production company with an Oklahoma headquarters in Hinton.
Villalobos has six commercial hog farms throughout western Oklahoma under his supervision, including 18,000 sows.
In his free time, Villalobos is an active member of the Weatherford Masonic Lodge, and he enjoys watching movies with his family.
PLI participants are educated on the legislative and regulatory processes, the importance of international trade, the roles of the national pork organizations and their state pork associations, and the issues facing producers.
They also are trained to be spokespeople for production agriculture and grassroots activists able to disseminate educated messages about the industry.
“The Oklahoma Pork Council is incredibly excited for Alex and Dr. Tangen to represent our state on the national level,” said Kylee Deniz, executive director of the Oklahoma Pork Council.
“PLI will provide valuable knowledge they can each bring home to their companies and communities long after this year is over. For our state to have two representatives in this elite group speaks to the leadership and vision of Oklahoma’s agriculture industry, and the caliber of our state’s pork producers.”
For more information about the Pork Leadership Institute, contact the Oklahoma Pork Council at 405-232-3781.
–Oklahoma Pork Council
National Pork Producers Council