AMES, Iowa -- The executive director of the Coalition to Support Iowa’s Farmers (CSIF) has been named to the Iowa Pork Industry Center (IPIC) advisory board. Aaron Putze, who also is CSIF public relations officer, will serve as an allied industry representative on the nine-member advisory board that provides advice, opinions and assistance to the center based at Iowa State University (ISU) in Ames.

IPIC director John Mabry said the advisory board plays a vital role in helping IPIC plan, promote, carry out and evaluate its educational programs. Putze’s experience in helping connect pork producers with appropriate and current sources of information and other resources is a great fit for the board.

“We are pleased that Aaron is a part of this very important group,” Mabry said. “We look forward to hearing his views and opinions about how IPIC is doing and how we can do a better job of working for members of the Iowa pork industry.”

The IPIC advisory board membership is comprised of several representative groups of Iowa residents, including producers, legislators, veterinarians and allied industry. Along with the IPIC advisory committee, the board meets twice a year with members of the IPIC staff and affiliated ISU faculty. The IPIC advisory committee is a group of six ISU Extension county and field staff with agricultural responsibilities who each serve three-year terms.

IPIC was established in 1994 as a coordinated effort of the colleges of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine at Iowa State University. Its mission is to promote efficient pork production technologies in Iowa, maintain Iowa's pork industry leadership and strengthen rural development efforts. IPIC focuses its efforts in programs that are integral and complimentary to work by ISU Extension. Through IPIC, Iowa producers receive accurate and timely information to aid in making their operations more efficient and profitable.

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