American Egg Board Names New Industry Staff
The board appointed Bill Winkelman, Nick Jones and Erica Mirth to leadership and marketing roles.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in People
The American Egg Board named Bill Winkelman vice president of industry affairs and engagement, Nick Jones director of international marketing, and Erica Mirth manager of content and design. The appointments were announced November 3, 2026.
Why it matters
The appointments place staff in roles overseeing assessment collection and international growth for U.S. egg producers. The board's international initiative aims to expand exports of U.S. shell and egg products.
The international initiative targets doubling U.S. shell and egg product exports to high-value markets. The announcement gives no current export baseline or target year.
The players
American Egg Board
The American Egg Board is the national checkoff organization that funds promotion and research for U.S. egg producers.
Bill Winkelman
Winkelman previously served eight years as vice president of producer and industry relations at the National Pork Board and holds a bachelor's degree in accounting from Iowa State University.
Nick Jones
Jones previously served as CEO of Berkwood Farms, a coalition of over 100 independent family farmers, and holds a bachelor's degree in marketing and transportation logistics from Iowa State University.
Erica Mirth
Mirth previously led design, branding, packaging and advertising conceptualization at Jackie O's Brewery.
The details
Winkelman is tasked with overseeing the board's assessment collection process. Jones will develop and maintain the board's strategic industry-wide international growth initiative, while Mirth leads quarterly design, branding, packaging and advertising conceptualization.
Timeline
November 3, 2026: The American Egg Board announced the staff appointments.
Market Landscape
Winkelman's prior eight years at the National Pork Board reflect the checkoff model of producer relations that the American Egg Board now applies to its own industry affairs. The board's international push parallels commodity checkoffs that seek foreign markets for U.S. farm products.
For egg producers, the appointments signal that the board is expanding its industry-affairs and export work. Consumers are not directly affected by these staffing changes.
The takeaway
Leadership changes at commodity boards often shape how checkoff funds are spent on promotion and export work. Watch for the board's international initiative to set concrete targets.
Further reading
Explore more People coverage to see other leadership moves across the business sector.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Feedstuffs.
