Source: Rita Jane Gabbett, MEATINGPLACE, 12/16/14


Tyson Foods has selected Christine Daugherty vice president, animal well-being programs and technology, replacing Dr. Dean Danilson who is retiring after 26 years with the company.

Daugherty will oversee the Tyson FarmCheck program, which includes third party, on-farm animal well-being audits, working with an external Animal Well-Being Advisory Panel and commitment to additional research. She will also manage Tyson Foods’ animal well-being staff and animal handling training and audits at the company’s processing plants.

“Chris has been involved in Tyson Foods’ animal well-being efforts over the past 11 years through the science, research and legal roles she’s had with the company,” said Mike Roetzel, group vice president-Operation Services for Tyson Foods.

A native of Iowa, Daugherty joined Tyson Foods in 2003 serving as an attorney and providing counsel in such areas as animal welfare, research and development, intellectual property and food safety. She was promoted to director of intellectual property and technology development for Tyson Foods in 2011 and two years later was appointed chief technology officer for Cobb-Vantress, a poultry breeding company owned by Tyson Foods.

Daugherty has helped provide strategic oversight for Tyson Foods’ poultry research farm. She is an internal committee member for the FarmCheck program and serves as executive committee member of the Cobb-Vantress Animal Welfare advisory program. She is also on the U.S. Poultry Foundation Research Advisory Committee that funds research projects that benefit the poultry and egg industry.

Daugherty has a Ph.D. in life sciences from Louisiana State University and a J.D. from the University of Arkansas.