Delmarva Poultry Industry, Inc. recognized growers and four individuals for their work on behalf of the chicken industry.
The J. Frank Gordy, Sr. Delmarva Distinguished Citizen Award, DPI’s highest honor, was presented to Charlie Carpenter of Somerset County, MD. Just weeks out of college in Kentucky, Carpenter began work with Perdue Farms and has been with Perdue his entire 43-year career in a variety of positions.
He served on the Delmarva Poultry Industry, Inc. Board of Directors from 1991 until 1994 and then returned to the board in 2006, serving as president in 2009. He remains on the board today.
He has been one of the most active board members. He has represented the chicken industry for several years on the Maryland Agricultural Commission and is this year’s chairman.
He and his wife, Marsha, live near Princess Anne. .
The Edward H. Ralph DPI Medal of Achievement was presented to Bruce Stewart-Brown of Salisbury. The award goes to a non-elected person for outstanding service on behalf of Delmarva’s chicken industry.
Stewart-Brown came to Delmarva where he joined Perdue Farms as Director of Health Services. With several new titles and additional responsibilities since then, he has expanded his areas of responsibility to include food safety, quality assurance, and animal welfare. His current position is Senior Vice President of Food Safety, Quality & Live Operations.
The DPI Medal of Achievement for an elected official went to Maryland State Delegate Charles Otto of Somerset County. Born in Salisbury and raised on the Lower Eastern Shore, Otto has a long history of service to the agricultural community through both community activities and his employment.
Soon after graduation from Virginia Tech, he began his professional career and has been involved with agriculture ever since. He has farmed, grown chickens, been a sales representative for the William B. Tilghman Fertilizer Company, a field representative for the Maryland Farm Bureau, and now is a certified crop consultant and sales representative for The Farmers & Planters Co.
He won election to the House of Delegates in 2010, seeking office because he did not believe other possible candidates understood agriculture and adequately could serve the farming community. Upon taking office, he was appointed to the Environmental Matters Committee and he remains on that committee. As the only farmer on the committee that deals with farm issues, he is looked to for knowledge, advice, and counsel.
A final DPI Medal of Achievement was presented to Dr. Paul Twining of Somerset County, Maryland, who Delmarva Poultry Industry, Inc. recognized in 1988 with Delmarva’s Distinguished Citizen Award. Over the last 28 years he has continued to make contributions to DPI and Delmarva’s chicken industry.
A chicken grower from 1956 until 2002, he received his college degrees from the University of Maryland. He worked as a chemist and nutritionist at Perdue Farms for six years and since 1970 has been an international independent consultant in the poultry industry. He joined the DPI board of directors in 1976 and served until the end of 2015, making him at that time the longest serving current member of the board. He served as president in 1980.
Additionally, DPI recognized 12 outstanding chicken growers. Selected by their companies from Delmarva’s more than 1,600 poultry growers, this year’s recipients are:
- William and Diane Brooks, Milton, DE – Perdue Foods
- James and Sandra Brunk, Salisbury, MD – Tyson Foods
- Tom, Mary, and Eric Cheezum, Preston, MD – Allen Harim
- Danny and Laurie Collins, Millsboro, DE- Perdue Foods
- David and Jenny Hoffman, Pocomoke City, MD – Mountaire Farms
- Mike and Brandy Irwin, Greenwood, DE – Mountaire Farms
- Gilbert and Tina Johnson, Centreville, MD – Mountaire Farms
- Chris and Cynthia Long, Wyoming, DE – Amick Farms
- Scott Peterman and Wil Jerman, Milford, DE – Allen Harim
- John and Linda Walls, Milford, DE – Perdue Foods
- Mark and Richard Whaley, Laurel, DE – Perdue Foods
- Wan and Eun Yu, Laurel, DE – Mountaire Farms
Nearly 700 people attended the DPI banquet.
