Due to their extensive contributions to the meat industry, three individuals with close ties to Texas Tech and the Davis College of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources have been inducted to the Meat Industry Hall of Fame Class of 2023. The recognition was created in 2009 to honor leaders and legends in the meat industry whose visions, skills and dedication shaped and sustained the industry.
The new Texas Tech-linked entrants are Mindy Brashears, Terry Caviness and Tommy Wheeler. The recognition will be part of an honors ceremony on Friday (Aug. 2) at the American Convention of Meat Processors & Suppliers’ Exhibition in Omaha, Nebraska.
“Mindy, Terry and Tommy are nationally known for their significant contributions to the meat industry,” said Gordon W. Davis, longtime Davis College supporter and prominent Lubbock businessman who spent 10 years as an associate professor in the college. Davis participated in the nomination process and was inducted to the Meat Industry Hall of Fame Class of 2022.
“They individually and collectively bring honor to Texas Tech University, and to their credit were all first ballot Hall of Famers. They join noteworthy meat industry leaders that include Colonel Harland Sanders, Jimmy Dean and Don Tyson, along with exceptional scientists Gary Smith, Dell Allen and Temple Grandin.”
To qualify for nomination to the Hall of Fame, candidates must have contributed significant innovation, achieved notable business success or otherwise positively affected their organization, institution or larger industry segment. In addition, the nominees chosen for induction must have undertaken noteworthy community service or philanthropy during their careers and upon retirement.
Included among this year’s Meat Industry Hall of Fame are:
Mindy Brashears (Professor & Director/ Texas Tech International Center for Food Industry Excellence) She has made significant contributions to the meat/food industry. Her Brashears’ research focuses on interventions in pre-and post-harvest environments and on the emergence of antimicrobial drug resistance. Her work has resulted in the commercialization of pre-harvest feed additives that reduce E. coli and Salmonella in cattle. She also leads international research teams to Mexico Belize and Argentina to improve food safety and security in those sectors and to set up sustainable agriculture systems in impoverished areas. She received her bachelor’s degree in food technology from Texas Tech. Her master’s and doctorate degrees in food science are from Oklahoma State University.
Terry Caviness(Chief Executive Officer / Caviness Beef Packers) Caviness received his bachelor's degree in business administration from Texas Tech (1969). His family-owned and operated beef processing business is based in Hereford and Amarillo. In 2015, Caviness entered a Joint Venture with RJ Simplot Company and designed and built CS Beef Packers in Kuna, Idaho. The facility was completed and commenced operations in 2017 and harvests 1,800 head per day and has 750 team members. He is a past chair and director of the National Meat Association. In 2009, he received the association's E. Floyd Forbes Award for distinguished service. He is also the former director of the Southwest Meat Association. In 2022, Caviness received the Davis College’s Gerald W. Thomas Outstanding Agriculturalist Award for Agribusiness.
Tommy Wheeler (Research Leader / USDA-ARS Meat Safety & Quality Research Unit, U.S. Meat Animal Research Center / Clay Center, Nebraska) Wheeler has been conducting research to solve high priority livestock and meat industry problems for 35 years. He is recognized internationally as a leader in the areas of meat quality, carcass composition, instrument grading and meat safety, as well as the leader of a research team that is successfully addressing high priority industry issues in meat safety and quality. Wheeler has authored or co-authored 262 refereed journal publications, 155 abstracts, 87 technical reports, and three patents He received his bachelor’s degree in agricultural economics and master’s degree in meat science from Texas Tech. His doctorate in meat science and muscle biology is from Texas A&M.
CONTACT: Clint Krehbiel, Dean, Davis College of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources, Texas Tech University at (806) 742-2808 or Clint.Krehbiel@ttu.edu
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