Hormel Foods Corp.

Ronald W. Fielding is executive vice president grocery products of Hormel Foods Corporation, with responsibility for general business strategy as well as the consumer marketing activities covering multiple brands, including SPAM, CHI-CHI’S, Dinty Moore, Hormel, Stagg and Herdez. Fielding also assumed additional responsibilities in company acquisitions in 2007. Additionally, he oversees the manufacturing operations located in Stockton, Calif.; Beloit, Wis.; Atlanta, Ga.; New Berlin, Wis.; and Fort Dodge, Iowa. Fielding began his career with Hormel Foods in 1994 as regional sales manager of meat products. In 1995, he was named vice president of Hormel Foods International Corporation. In 1997, his role expanded to include vice president of Hormel Foods Corporation and president of Hormel Foods International. In 1999, he was named group vice president of the meat products group, and in 2003 became group vice president of sales strategy. Most recently, he held the position of president of consumer products sales, a division of Hormel Foods Sales, LLC, in 2004, and group vice president of Hormel Foods, grocery products division in 2005. Fielding was named executive vice president in 2007. Prior to joining Hormel Foods, Fielding spent 19 years with Philip Morris Companies, working in various sales, marketing and management capacities at Oscar Mayer Foods Corporation, General Foods Corporation and Kraft Foods Corporation. Fielding, a native of Union, N.J., holds a bachelor of science degree in commerce from Rider University in Lawrenceville, N.J. He also completed the Program for Management Development at Harvard Business School. Fielding serves on the boards of Jennie-O Turkey Store, Precept Foods and Herdez USA. He has previously served on a number of boards, including: Beijing Hormel Foods Co. Ltd.; Campoco Inc.; Great Barrier Reef Co. Pty. Ltd.; KR Hormel Foods; Hormel Alimentos, S.A. de C.V.; Hormel Cinta Azul Foods of Central America Inc.; Hormel Foods International Corporation; Hormel FSC Inc.; Hormel Netherlands B.V.; Hormel Spain S.R.L.; Licenso, S.A.; PureFoods-Hormel Company; and Shanghai Hormel Foods Co. Ltd.

James W. Cavanaugh is senior vice president of external affairs and general counsel for Hormel Foods. With 25 years of experience in the law department at Hormel Foods, Cavanaugh has developed an expertise in managing the company through regulatory and policy-making changes. As the company’s chief legal officer, Cavanaugh leads all aspects of the company’s law department, is responsible for managing risk on a daily basis, and oversees all acquisitions, contracts and litigation. Cavanaugh spearheaded company-wide Sarbanes Oxley governance changes and has played an integral role in protecting the company’s intellectual property. As senior vice president of external affairs, Cavanaugh oversees all communications activities, including state and federal government affairs, corporate communications, brand management, consumer insights, consumer affairs, packaging, corporate social responsibility and issues management. Cavanaugh began his career at Hormel Foods in 1982 as associate corporate attorney and spent the first 20 years of his career advancing through the law department as a labor specialist and corporate attorney. In 2001, he was named corporate secretary and senior attorney. He was promoted to his current position of general counsel and senior vice president of external affairs in 2005. Cavanaugh holds a bachelor of arts degree from the University of Notre Dame, a law degree from St. Louis University and a master’s degree in tax law from Georgetown University. He is a member of the Minnesota State Bar Association and the Iowa State Bar Association. Cavanaugh previously served on the board of directors for the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce and on the Minnesota workers’ compensation advisory council. He currently serves on the Fire Commission Board in Austin, Minn.

As vice president of operations for refrigerated foods, Bruce R Schweitzer is responsible for overseeing all operations in refrigerated foods, including pork operations. Schweitzer has acquired extensive experience in operations management over his 35-year career with Hormel Foods. He started his career in 1974 as a production management trainee in Fremont, NE, where he was quickly promoted to supervisor later that year. Following a series of supervisory positions, he was named linear program coordinator at corporate headquarters in Austin, MN in 1980. He was promoted to superintendent of sausage and cured and smoked meats two years later at the Atlanta, GA plant and then served as plant superintendent at Dold Foods in Wichita, KS. Schweitzer then served as plant manager in Houston, TX and Atlanta, GA. In 1989, he was named general manager of further processing for Jennie-O Foods in Willmar, MN and was promoted to director of operations a year later. He became vice president of production for Jennie-O Foods in 1991 and senior vice president of marketing and sales for Jennie-O Foods in 1995. He returned to Fremont as plant manager in 1999 and relocated back to Austin as plant manager in 2004. He was named to his current post in October 2005. A native of St. Louis, MO, he holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration and economics from Drury College in Springfield, MO. Schweitzer is a member of the Austin Rotary Club and a YMCA volunteer. He has served as an Austin Chamber of Commerce board member and is the past co-chair of the Mower County United Way fund-raiser campaign.

Bryan D. Farnsworth is vice president of quality management for Hormel Foods and is responsible for overseeing company quality, plant regulatory and food safety activities. In this role, Farnsworth spearheads the company’s continuous improvement initiatives, including Quality Improvement Process and Six Sigma. With 26 years of experience at Hormel Foods, Farnsworth has been involved in all aspects of quality control within the company and has developed a keen vision for the role of quality management within the organization. He began his career in 1981 as a quality control trainee in Fremont, Neb. where he was quickly promoted to quality control engineer. Over the next ten years of his career, Farnsworth held various quality and process control positions at several of the company’s locations, including Austin, Minn. and Beloit, Wis. In 1991, he became director of quality control for Jennie-O Foods in Willmar, Minn. He stayed with Jennie-O Foods for five years, where he also held plant management positions at the Willmar and Montevideo, Minn. locations. In 1996, Farnsworth was named director of quality management for Hormel Foods and in 2005 he was promoted to vice president of quality management. Farnsworth graduated from Western Michigan University with a bachelor of science degree in manufacturing administration and is a graduate of the University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management Executive Program. Farnsworth is very active with the American Meat Institute (AMI), serving as a member and former chairman of the AMI Inspection Committee, which addresses issues involving federal inspection of livestock, poultry and processed meat products. He is an adviser member of the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) Foundation Board. Farnsworth is also a member of the Food Processors Association, where he sits on the Meat and Poultry Products Committee and is a member of the American Society for Quality. He is also on the board of directors for the American Red Cross.

Scott Aakre is vice president of marketing for grocery products for Hormel Foods Corporation. In this role, Aakre is responsible for setting brand strategy, developing consumer communications, overseeing brand and divisional budgets and outlining areas for new product development and innovation. He is also in charge of managing the overall portfolio for company brands, such as SPAM® family of products, Hormel® chili, CHI-CHI’S® Mexican products, Hormel® Compleats® microwave meals, Dinty Moore® beef stew and Valley Fresh® chicken. Aakre joined Hormel Foods in 1990 as an assistant product manager and quickly advanced to associate product manager in 1991 and product manager in 1992. After a one-year stint as a district sales manager in Philadelphia, Aakre returned to corporate headquarters to become senior product manager of meat products in 1995. He was promoted to group product manager of meat products in 1998. In 2003, he became group product manager of grocery products and was promoted to director of marketing for grocery products later that year. He assumed his current position in 2005. A Minnesota native, Aakre earned a bachelor’s degree and a master’s in business administration from the University of Minnesota. Aakre is actively involved in the local community and served ten years with the Mower County United Way, most recently as president.

As senior vice president of consumer products sales division and vice president of Hormel Foods, Daniel A. Hartzog oversees all sales activities for the five national dedicated customer teams: Wal-Mart, Kroger, Safeway, SuperValu and the alternate channels team. Hartzog began his career with Hormel Foods in 1975 as a sales trainee in the Atlanta, Ga., distribution plant. He went on to hold a number of key sales positions before being promoted to district sales manager in 1982. In 1983, Hartzog was named district manager, working in Omaha, Neb. and then Atlanta, before his promotion to regional sales manager for the Western region in 1988. He then moved to the corporate offices in Austin, Minn. as director of trade management for the meat products group. In 2000, Hartzog was promoted to vice president of meat products sales where he was responsible for the sales activities of the meat products organization and its 200 employees. In 2004, he assumed his current responsibilities. A native of Alabama, Hartzog holds a bachelor’s degree in marketing and economics from Auburn University in Auburn, Ala.

As vice president of human resources, David P. Juhlke is responsible for employee relations, industrial relations, benefits, safety and security, learning and development, workers’ compensation, professional employment and compensation for 19,000 Hormel Foods’ employees. Juhlke joined the company in 1983 as an industrial engineer in Ottumwa, Iowa. He then moved to corporate headquarters in Austin, Minn. and assumed responsibility for compensation. In 1993, he was named manager of personnel in Beloit, Wis., and in 1996 was promoted to director of human resources and safety for Jennie-O Foods in Willmar, Minn. Five years later, he became vice president of human resources and administration for Jennie-O Turkey Store and directed the consolidation of human resources programs and practices following the merger of Jennie-O Foods and The Turkey Store. Juhlke returned to the corporate office in 2005 as vice president of human resources. Juhlke is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin, Stout, and holds a bachelor’s degree in industrial technology with an emphasis in manufacturing engineering. He was a board member and former president of the Kandiyohi County Family YMCA. In addition, he served on the boards of the Affiliated Community Medical Center Health Foundation, the Ridgewater College General Advisory Board and the Midwest Poultry Association.

Dennis B. Goettsch is vice president of marketing for the foodservice division at Hormel Foods Corporation. In this position, he is responsible for the overall development of advertising and brand positioning of the foodservice division. In this capacity, he develops and implements the division’s strategic plan, compiles the annual operating budget, supervises the activities of new product development and pricing, and monitors all the latest industry trends to ensure Hormel Foods maintains its strong presence in the foodservice arena. Among his many accomplishments, Goettsch was integral to the introduction and growth of the Bread Ready Meats® business, which utilizes high pressure processing. Goettsch came to Hormel Foods in 1990 as senior product manager of foodservice products within the meat products group. He was named marketing manager for foodservice when it became a division later that year. In 1993, he was promoted to director of marketing for the foodservice division and has held his current position since 2000. Goettsch has served on the boards of Hormel Alimentos and Patak’s, and currently sits on the board for Hormel Foods International Corporation. Goettsch earned his bachelor’s degree in biology and physical education from Cornell College in Iowa and spent five years as a high school teacher and coach. He went on to receive his master’s in marketing from the University of Iowa. Involved in the community and sports, he served on the board of the YMCA for four years and is a past chair of the Austin Public Education Fore Kids golf fundraiser.

As senior vice president of sales for the consumer products sales division and vice president of Hormel Foods, Douglas R. Reetz oversees the sales functions for the high focus teams. Reetz began his career with Hormel Foods in 1977 in San Jose, Calif. as a sales merchandiser. He held increasing sales responsibility in San Francisco and Los Angeles. He later was district manager in Salt Lake City, Utah and Phoenix, Ariz. before assuming the position of regional manager of the Eastern region for the grocery products division in 1988. In 1991, he relocated to the corporate office in Austin, Minn., assuming the position of national manager of trade marketing and was promoted to director of sales of the grocery products division in 1992. In 1999, he was named vice president of sales in the grocery products division and assumed his current position in July 2004. Reetz is a native of Appleton, Wis. and a graduate of Arizona State University, where he received a bachelor’s degree in marketing.

James M. Splinter is vice president of marketing for Hormel Foods consumer products in the refrigerated foods division. In this position, he is responsible for managing all brand building marketing activities, including the associated marketing budget and new product development activities. Splinter also manages the profit and loss statement of the meat products division, develops a staff of marketing product managers and manages the brand assets of Hormel and Lloyd’s barbeque. Splinter joined Dubuque Foods in 1984 and became product manager for retail sausage products in 1990. In 1995, he joined Hormel Foods as product manager for the meat products group in Austin, Minn., managing the marketing activities of the category’s leading brand – Hormel® pepperoni, which earned a Best Print Media Campaign award from Food and Beverage magazine. In 1997, he joined the grocery products division as group product manager for the recipe ingredient group and oversaw the brand revitalization efforts for the now 70-year-old SPAM brand. In 1999, Splinter was promoted to senior vice president, sales and marketing of the retail division at Jennie-O Turkey Store. In 2003, he was promoted to his current position. A native of Dubuque, Iowa, Splinter graduated from Loras College with a bachelor of arts degree in business.

As vice president and controller of Hormel Foods Corporation, James N. Sheehan’s responsibilities include financial policies, internal controls, Sarbanes-Oxley Section 404 compliance and financial reporting, as well as the general accounting, cost and business unit accounting functions of the company. Notably, he led the successful sale of Vista International Packaging and Algona Food Equipment Company. An employee of Hormel Foods for almost 30 years, Sheehan began as an accountant in the Fremont, Neb. office and quickly was promoted to manager of data processing. He advanced to other positions including manager of general accounting, office manager at several locations and controller of Vista International Packaging. Since 1988, Sheehan has held positions at the corporate headquarters in Austin, Minn., including corporate credit manager for claims and Hormel Financial Services. In 1998, he became president of Hormel Financial Services where he was instrumental in developing and implementing Hormel Financial Services functions and several financial systems. Prior to being named to his current position, Sheehan was treasurer of Hormel Foods. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Missouri Western State University in St. Joseph, Mo. and is involved in the Financial Executive Institute and the Institute of Management Accountants. He also serves on the Gelco Expense Management advisory board. In addition to his professional involvement, Sheehan is an active member of the community as the treasurer of both the Austin Public Library and the Austin Country Club. He is also a former board member of the Mower County Red Cross and the Mower County United Way.

As senior vice president and chief financial officer for Hormel Foods, Jody H. Feragen oversees all financial areas of Hormel Foods Corporation including accounting, information technology, internal audit, investor relations and treasury. Feragen joined Hormel Foods in 2000 as treasurer, assuming the title of vice president and treasurer in 2001. She was promoted to vice president of finance and treasurer in 2005, and was named senior vice president and chief financial officer in 2007. Prior to joining Hormel Foods, she was assistant treasurer for National Computer Systems. Feragen earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of North Dakota, Grand Forks and an MBA from the University of Minnesota. Feragen also attended the Harvard Business School’s Advanced Management Program. In 2007, Feragen was nominated to the Hormel Foods Board of Directors. An active community participant, she is a board member of the Girl Scout Council of River Trails. She also serves as trustee and treasurer for the Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation and is a member of the Minnesota Society of Certified Public Accountants.

Joe C. Swedberg is vice president of legislative affairs for Hormel Foods. In this capacity, Swedberg oversees all state and federal legislative affairs. Swedberg has been with Hormel Foods for 25 years, starting his career with the company as a sales representative in 1981. He advanced to associate product manager in the meat products group in 1984 and was promoted to product manager of consumer hams the following year. In 1988, he was named group product manager of meat products. He then continued to advance through positions in the meat products group, being named to regional sales manager in 1990, director of marketing in 1993 and vice president of marketing in 1999. He assumed his current position in 2003. An Iowa native, Swedberg grew up on a cattle and grain farm. He received his bachelor of arts degree from the University of Northern Iowa. Swedberg serves as past chairman of the board of the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce, vice-chairman of the board of Minnesota Agri-Growth, board member of Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE), member of the Advisory Leadership Circle for the Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation, board member of the Minnesota Zoo and member and former president of the Austin YMCA board of directors. He served on Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty’s Livestock and Siting Task Force from 2004-2005 and was appointed by Governor Pawlenty to the Minnesota Sesquicentennial Commission in 2006. He was also appointed to the Commission on New Americans by Governor Pawlenty in 2007.

As vice president of corporate communications for Hormel Foods Corporation, Julie H Craven oversees all communications and community relations activities, serves as the company’s chief spokesperson and is responsible for Studio H—the company’s creative and graphic services group. In this capacity, Craven has overall responsibility for media relations, employee communications, the company's digital presence, issues management, corporate social responsibility initiatives, the consumer response group and SPAM ® Museum and SPAM™ Shop operations. She serves as administrator to the Hormel Foods Charitable Trust, which supports the company’s scholarship and matching gift programs. During her 19-year career with the company, Craven has developed her vision for the strategic position of Hormel Foods and its diverse portfolio of brands. Craven joined the company as director of consumer affairs in 1988, transferred to foodservice as a product manager in 1995, and was promoted to senior product manager three years later. She was promoted to director of corporate communications in 2001 and to vice president in 2005. Prior to joining Hormel Foods, Craven gained operations and marketing services experience at Kraft Foods and was a food editor at Meredith Corporation for Better Homes & Gardens special interest publications. Craven holds a bachelor of science degree in nutrition and dietetics from Iowa State University and a master’s degree in food science and nutrition from the University of Missouri. She is a native of Cedar Falls, Iowa. Craven is a member of a number of professional organizations, including the Arthur W. Page Society, Minnesota Women’s Economic Roundtable, American Dietetic Association, Minnesota Dietetic Association, Public Relations Society of America and International Association of Business Communicators. In addition, she serves on the Minnesota Twins Community Fund Board is the Grocery Manufacturers of America Communications Committee chairman.

Kurt F. Mueller is a vice president of Hormel Foods Corporation. He also serves as the senior vice president of business planning and support for Consumer Products Sales, responsible for managing trade spending, category management and the order to cash process. With 27 years of experience at Hormel Foods, Mueller developed his marketing expertise through working in various sales and marketing capacities at the company. He joined Hormel Foods in the refrigerated foods meat products division in 1979 in Shreveport, La. and later advanced to other sales positions in San Antonio and Austin, Texas. In 1983, Mueller relocated to corporate headquarters in Austin, Minn. as a brand manager for brands such as Black Label® bacon and fresh pork. Five years later, Mueller returned to sales to manage a territory covering Wisconsin, Illinois and western Indiana. In 1991, he was promoted to marketing director for Dubuque Foods, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hormel Foods. After his four-year stint with Dubuque Foods, Mueller returned to corporate headquarters to manage a newly formed logistics and customer service department in the Refrigerated Foods division. A year later, he advanced to lead another newly formed department as director of pork sales and marketing. He was appointed a vice president in 1999 and advanced to his current position in 2004. For his outstanding work managing the Hormel® Always Tender® brand, Mueller was honored as “Brand Marketer of the Year” by Brandweek magazine in 1999. Mueller holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a marketing emphasis from the University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire. Mueller is very active with Boy Scouts of America, currently serving as an assistant Scout Master. He also serves as assistant commissioner on the Austin Youth Baseball board and is involved in the Austin chapter of the Knights of Columbus.

Larry L. Vorpahl serves as group vice president of Hormel Foods Corporation and oversees a sales force of about 300 people that services all formats of retail customers nationwide, selling both shelf stable grocery and refrigerated meat products. Vorpahl joined Hormel Foods in 1986 as a sales merchandiser and later that year became a sales representative. He was promoted to associate product manager in 1987, product manager in 1990, senior product manager in 1993 and group product manager in 1995. He was promoted to director of marketing in 1996 and was named vice president of marketing in 1999. In 2003, he became vice president and general manager, Grocery Products, responsible for overseeing the company’s Grocery Products division. He was promoted to his current position in October 2005. A graduate of the University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire, he holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a comprehensive marketing major. Vorpahl is a graduate of several executive education programs, including the Executive Education Program at Harvard Business School, the Minnesota Executive Program at the Carlson School of Management at University of Minnesota and the Minnesota Management Institute at the Carlson School of Management at University of Minnesota. Vorpahl is involved in a number of food industry organizations. He is a member of the Food Marketing Institute Associate Member Advisory Council and the Industry Affairs Council of the Grocery Manufacturers Association. Vorpahl serves as president of Consumer Products Sales, a division of Hormel Foods Sales LLC. He also holds a leadership position on a Hormel Foods joint venture board, serving as president and chief executive officer of Herdez Corporation. He is also a member of the Diversity and Inclusion Council at Hormel Foods. In addition, Vorpahl is a charter member of the Marketing Advisory Council at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.

As vice president of research and development of Hormel Foods Corporation, Phillip L. Minerich oversees product development, regulatory compliance and food safety. Over Minerich’s 30-year career with Hormel Foods, he has developed an expertise in food technology, packaging and the development and application of food safety intervention technologies and systems. He started his career at Hormel Foods in the quality control department at the Austin, Minn. plant in 1976. After holding various supervisory positions at the Austin and Davenport, Iowa facilities, Minerich was named corporate manager of sanitation at the corporate headquarters in Austin in 1983. In 1988, Minerich joined the research and development division as a food technologist and advanced to senior food technologist three years later. In 1996, he was promoted to research scientist of packaging and advanced to development leader of new interventions in 2002. He was promoted to director of research, responsible for product and process development and packaging in 2003. He was appointed to his current position in 2006. A native of Medina, Ohio, Minerich received a bachelor of science degree in food technology at The Ohio State University in Columbus in 1976. He earned his master's and doctorate degrees in food science at the University of Minnesota in St. Paul in 1990 and 2002, respectively. Minerich is a member of the Institute of Food Technology (IFT) and the IFT’s Non-Thermal Process Division. He has been awarded three patents.

As group vice president of Hormel Foods and president of Jennie-O Turkey Store, Robert A.Tegt oversees the company's Jennie-O Turkey Store business segment. A Hormel Foods employee for more than 30 years, Tegt joined the company as a sales trainee in 1973. He served in a number of sales positions and was named product manager in the meat products division in 1979. Six years later, he became group product manager for the meat products group and was named vice president of marketing for Jennie-O Foods in 1988. In 2001, he was promoted to senior vice president of the foodservice business for Jennie-O Turkey Store. He advanced to vice president of the specialty foods group in January 2006, and was promoted group vice president of the specialty foods group in November 2007 and assumed his current responsibilities in 2008. Tegt holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Nebraska.

As senior vice president for the foodservice division of Hormel Foods Sales, LLC, Thomas R. Day is responsible for the sales and marketing of foodservice products within the United States. Day joined Hormel Foods in 1981 on a relief assignment in Texas and was promoted to territory manager of meat products later that year. In 1985, he was named territory manager of foodservice, and in 1989 he became manager of national accounts for foodservice. He served as manager of national accounts and regional manager beginning in 1992, and in 1994 was appointed director of sales and marketing of Dubuque Foods. He was named director of sales for the foodservice group in 1998, and vice president foodservice sales 2000. He was promoted to his current position in 2007. A native of Wisconsin, Day is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, with a bachelor’s degree in business administration. He holds a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Texas, San Antonio, and is a graduate of the University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management Executive Program. Day serves on the board of the Twin Valley Council of the Boy Scouts of America and represents the Boy Scouts of America at the Mower County United Way.

William F. Snyder is senior vice president of supply chain for Hormel Foods and is responsible for engineering operations, quality control, purchasing, industrial engineering, logistics, the company’s air and fleet transportation, and applying Six Sigma to the company’s supply chain. During his 28-year career with Hormel Foods, Snyder has held a wide variety of roles that have helped him develop an understanding of supply chain collaboration and management. He joined Hormel Foods in 1980 as an industrial engineer at the Austin, Minn. plant and later held similar positions at plants Stockton, Calif. and Seattle, Wash. In 1989, he transferred back to Austin as staff industrial engineer. In 1991, he was named superintendent of grocery products production. He was named manager of industrial engineering at the Austin plant in 1992. He was promoted to manager of the Beloit, Wis., grocery products manufacturing plant in 1995 and to manager of the Fremont, Neb. plant in 1996. He returned to Austin in 1999 as vice president of operations, Refrigerated Foods. He was promoted to his current position in 2005. Snyder graduated from the University of Wisconsin, Platteville, with a bachelor of science degree in industrial technology. Snyder is active in several community initiatives, including the Mower County United Way, Knights of Columbus and the Development Corporation of Austin.

James Doyle has held his current position as Director of Employee Benefits at Hormel Foods Corporation since 1997. Mr. Doyle has extensive experience in employee benefits, workers' compensation and financial analysis. He has designation as a Certified Employee Benefits Specialist. He is a graduate of Kearney State College, Kearney, Nebraska with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in accounting.

As Corporate Secretary and Senior Attorney, Brian D. Johnson handles acquisition, corporate governance, securities, advertising, financing and real estate matters for Hormel Foods Corporation, and serves on the Disclosure and Compliance Committees. Johnson started with Hormel Foods in 1995 as a corporate attorney. He was promoted to senior attorney in 2000. In 2005, he was promoted to assistant secretary, and was promoted to corporate secretary in 2007.Prior to joining Hormel Foods, Johnson practiced law with Doherty, Rumble & Butler, P.A. He graduated from Minnesota State University, Mankato in 1983 with a bachelor of science degree, cum laude, with majors in accounting, finance and real estate/insurance, and minors in economics and political science. Johnson earned designation as a Certified Public Accountant in 1984, and graduated magna cum laude and Order of the Coif with a J.D. degree from the University of Minnesota Law School in 1991. Johnson volunteers in the local community and church, serving on the finance committee for his church. He also served several years on the Austin City Planning Commission, acting as Chair in 2000 through 2006.

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Mr. Hale provides business development and marketing analysis expertise to technology companies and small businesses seeking to identify and capitalize on commercial market opportunities. He assists in strengthening their business model and in growing their strategic partnerships. Prior to TVC Mr. Hale was with the Thomas Group's business development division. He also was an entrepreneur, securing investors for a New Mexico based commercial airline. Mr. Hale has held positions in sales and marketing management with two Fortune 200 companies (Hormel Foods Corp. and Foodbrands) prior to returning to his native New Mexico. He joined TVC in 2001.

John Turner joined Conseco's board of directors in September 2003. He is the chairman of Hillcrest Capital Partners, a private equity investment firm launched in 2002 by Turner and his son Jeff. Turner serves as a director of Hormel Foods Corporation and ING Funds. During his extensive career in the insurance industry, Turner served as chairman and CEO of Reliastar Financial Corp., from 1991 until it was acquired by ING in 2000. After the merger, he became vice chairman and a member of the executive committee for ING Americas until his retirement in 2002. In 1996, Turner was named the "Insurance Industry CEO of the Year" by The Wall Street Transcript. Turner has a bachelor's degree in mathematics from Amherst College. In addition, he did graduate work at the University of Minnesota and attended the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School. He is a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries and a member of the American Academy of Actuaries.

In 1989, Jack teamed up with longtime friends and former colleagues Mike Goldner and Van Hawn to found Goldner Hawn. As a senior partner, he remains involved in the firm's major strategic and investment decisions.