ORLANDO, FL - The North American Meat Institute (Meat Institute) Board of Directors today elected its slate of officers for 2023, with Steve Van Lannen, President and COO of American Foods Group, elected to serve as the incoming Chairman in January of 2023.

"This is both an exciting and a challenging time for the meat and poultry industry," said incoming Chairman Steve Van Lannen. "We will continue to build on the leadership of our past Chairman, Brad McDowell, to ensure the Meat Institute continues to provide exemplary service to its members and, through the Protein PACT, support the industry's contributions to healthy people, a healthy planet and healthy animals."

In addition, Peter Bozzo, Vice President of Michael's Finer Meats and Seafood, was selected to serve as Secretary and will serve his first term as an officer.

The 2023 Slate of Officers includes:

Steve Van Lannen
Chairman
American Foods Group, LLC

Eric Gustafson
Vice-Chairman
Coast Packing Company

James Snee
Treasurer
Hormel Foods Corporation

Peter Bozzo
Secretary
Michael's Finer Meats & Seafoods

Brad McDowell
Immediate Past-Chairman
AB Foods, LLC, an Agri Beef Company

Julie Anna Potts
President and CEO
North American Meat Institute

Steve Van Lannen has run meatpacking operations in Iowa, Nebraska, Arizona, and Wisconsin and has been in the meat business for more than 30 years. He joined American Foods Group in 2008 and was promoted to President and COO in 2016.

Based out of Green Bay, WI, American Foods Group is a family-owned U.S. beef packer processing over 500 million pounds of beef a year and is proud to put food on the tables of Americans and more worldwide. With approximately 4,800 employees in 18 locations, American Foods Group is adding an $800 million greenfield beef harvest facility to its portfolio in Warren County, Missouri.

Van Lannen's past NAMI executive board positions include vice chair, treasurer and secretary. He remains active in NAMI committees and strongly supports the Protein Pact. Additionally, Van Lannen is the current Chairman of the University of Wisconsin Meat Science and Animal Biologics Advisory Council.

When not working, Steve lives in Suamico, WI, with his wife Bonnie, and they have two grown children. Together they enjoy boating, snowmobiling, and traveling.

About North American Meat Institute

The Meat Institute is the United States' oldest and largest trade association representing packers and processors of beef, pork, lamb, veal, turkey, and processed meat products. NAMI members include over 350 meat packing and processing companies, the majority of which have fewer than 100 employees, and account for over 95 percent of the United States' output of meat and 70 percent of turkey production.