After 41 years working in the field of agriculture, first in the dairy industry, the last 30 of which have been with the National Chicken Council (NCC), Mary Colville, vice president of government affairs, is retiring.
“Working with NCC and the whole animal agriculture ‘barnyard’ crowd – a term first coined by John Boehner – has been an amazing experience,” said Colville. “The issues can be challenging, but we have been a close-knit group that has achieved many accomplishments, and we’ve made friends for a lifetime.”
NCC President Mike Brown noted, “Mary is the dean of the animal agriculture lobbyists and when you look at the government legislative and regulatory issues affecting the poultry industry for the last three decades, Mary has been a significant partner in many of them. Often known as the “Chicken Lady,” Mary has been a constant presence on Capitol Hill for more than three decades advocating for the U.S. chicken industry, and she will be missed.”
Colville said she is looking forward to the next chapter. “While I’m looking forward to travel and time with friends and family, it is going to be with mixed emotions that I leave work for an industry I have loved and believe in.”