ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA, U.S. — The Institute of Feed Education and Research (IFEEDER) announced on Sept. 4 that it has named Kenneth Thomas as the executive director of the charitable foundation, which seeks to sustain the future of food and feed production through education and research.

Thomas is a business leader with more than 30 years of experience in strategic positioning and company start-ups where he has focused on organizational leadership and problem solving. He has been involved in different capacities in the animal nutrition, pharmaceutical and real estate industries. 
 
Thomas worked in the feed and animal health industries for nearly 30 years, including serving as president of AFI and director of grain processing for Farmland Industries and vice-president international business for Fermenta Animal Health. 
 
“Ken's experience and fit for the job are ideal. He has a broad network in the industry, and has strong skills in developing strategic relationships, which should not only make him a great leader for IFEEDER, but should take our fundraising efforts to levels not experienced before for our foundation,” said IFEEDER Chair Dean Warras.

Thomas can be reached at 1.703.650.0142 or ifeeder@ifeeder.org. 
 
Thomas is a former chairman of the American Feed Industry Association’s (AFIA) marketing and international committees and served on several other AFIA committees and various trade associations in agriculture. He received his bachelor’s degree from Purdue University.