[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 2] [House] [Pages 2136-2138] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]RECOGNIZING THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF ROSEMARY MUCKLOW The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Kingston) is recognized for 5 minutes. Mr. KINGSTON. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to recognize the achievements of a friend of mine, Rosemary Mucklow. Rosemary is the long-standing executive director of the National Meat Association and has been somewhat of a legend in the meat and food business. Her dedication to the industry is evident by her business achievements, there are so many of them. Rosemary was born in Scotland and went to work at the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries for the British Government before being hired as a secretary at the Pacific Coast Meat Association, which was later named the Western States Meat Association, and then renamed the National Meat Association. In 1996, Rosemary received the E. Floyd Forbes award from the Meat Association for her outstanding service. She was honored again in 2002 by the American Meat Science Association for her ``commonsense leadership.'' She served on the National Advisory Committee on Meat and Poultry Inspection and was the vice president of the International HACCP Alliance. Throughout her career, she has highlighted the importance of information and education of the meat industry to improve standards, efficiency, and quality. Rosemary will be retiring very soon, but if I know Rosemary, retirement for her won't mean just quietly fading into the sunset. She is going to be active, probably still in the association, and in the industries. I had the opportunity to get to know Rosemary about 10 or 12 years ago when we, in the House Ag subcommittee of appropriations were passing the HACCP law. At that time we were moving from visual carcass- to-carcass inspection of meat and poultry to microbial testing, taking this to the modern technology. Rosemary knew so many people in the industry, and there was a lot of controversy, but she was able to get the people together to come up with the right compromises and the right push at the right time to get the thing from floundering. She also was very active at a time when there was some Salmonella and E. coli issues that had threatened to close down the industry and push through, I think, very aggressive mandatory recall authority for the Secretary of Agriculture. Rosemary brokered some ``peace in the valley,'' you might say. She's got the kind of enthusiasm that can only be called ``contagious.'' I met her through a man who is a sausage manufacturer in San Francisco named Al Piccetti, and the Piccetti family has also become friends of mine. And it seems like birds of a feather flock together. Rosemary's friends are good people. They have invited Libby and me to go visit them out in San Francisco, and we had a very nice time dealing with them. All the hospitality I would say that they have given us over the years and the friendship, those kind of relationships that in this business are rare to find. I will say this, I have no idea what Ms. Mucklow's politics are, if she's Democrat or Republican. In fact, the last time she was in Washington, she really prefers, for some reason, the west coast, but the last time she was here she said, Jack, I don't need to see you, I'm going to go see Chairwoman Rosa DeLauro because that's where the action is now. And she said that with a twinkle and a smile, and then she went up to go see Rosa. But she has that kind of good will that she can deal with both sides of the aisle and get the argument off politics into what is best for the American food consumer. What's best for the industry and the consumer has always been her goal. I will say I don't even know what kind of activities she does on a personal level, but I know this, that whatever she is doing right now, she's doing it with a smile and a lot of fun and involving a lot of people. [[Page 2137]] She's the kind of lobbyist or industry advocate that keeps a good reputation for the industry that she represents because she doesn't cut corners, she doesn't do political things, she doesn't think in terms of backroom deals or power moves or anything like that, she wants to do what's fair and what's just for the American people, and has a broad picture far beyond her job or her industry or her association. We're going to miss her kind of leadership, but I do hope that in her retirement she does not become a stranger. With that, I want to say thank you, Rosemary Mucklow, for your many years of advocacy for the American food consumer and for the industry. Rosemary Mucklow, Executive Director, National Meat Association, Oakland, CA Rosemary Mucklow is Director Emeritus of National Meat Association, (formerly Western States Meat Association) an Oakland-based trade association representing packers, processors, wholesalers, sausage makers, and other related firms in the U.S. meat and poultry industry. Until 2007 she was the NMA Executive Director and held this position since 1982 when the Western States Meat Packers Association and the Pacific Coast Meat Association merged to form the stronger, broad-based organization it is today. Rosemary has been associated with the meat industry for over 40 years. As Executive Director, Rosemary's responsibility's included the administration of the affairs of the National Meat Association. She continues to oversee the activities of NMA as Director Emeritus, and as part of her daily activities she maintains working contacts with NMA's members so that she remains fully informed about the effects on their businesses of government and market activities. Almost daily, Rosemary advises members on the intricacies of the federal meat and poultry inspection laws, and other laws administered by the Department of Agriculture. Rosemary has a reputation for ``telling it like it is.'' She is considered a formidable adversary in defending the industry when it's right, and she'll be equally straightforward in making corrections when it is not. In 1996 Rosemary received the E. Floyd Forbes award presented by the National Meat Association in recognition of her outstanding services to the meat industry. In 2002, she was honored by the American Meat Science Association for her ``common sense leadership in the areas of food safety and public policy.'' She was appointed to the National Advisory Committee on Meat and Poultry Inspection and elected Vice President of the International HACCP Alliance. She is an honorary member of the American Association of Food Hygiene Veterinarians. Aside from her responsibilities as Director Emeritus of NMA Rosemary is a member of various research and industry related organizations. She is a Trustee on several Taft-Hartley Funds administering medical and pension benefits for union workers. She has worked to raise funds in the area of cancer research as President of the Peralta Cancer Institute and has reached out to assist disadvantaged people in the community. She is the President of the Berkeley City Club, as well. Rosemary was born and educated in Edinburgh, Scotland and had various jobs unrelated to the meat industry before coming to the United States in 1959. She earned her Bachelor of Arts, majoring in Accounting at Golden Gate University, graduating in 1970. She resides in a cottage with a panoramic view of the Golden Gate and surrounded by a woodsy rose garden in Berkeley, California with two feline companions. ____ Jolley: Five Minutes With Rosemary Mucklow, Ret., NMA Rosemary Mucklow is really going to retire this time, No kidding. Ms. Mucklow, the long-standing Executive Director of the National Meat Association and a legend in the meat business, took a first stab at retirement several years ago. It didn't take. After several fruitless months of searching for her replacement, the National Meat Association's board of directors threw in the towel and asked her to stay on a bit longer. Her second retirement announcement, issued just a few weeks ago, included a surprise. The next Executive Director had already been chosen--Barry Carpenter, the recently retired Deputy Administrator of the Agricultural Marketing Service and one of the few with the gravitas to follow in the deep foot prints left by Ms. Mucklow. Note: In writing this, I almost called Carpenter ``her replacement,'' a silly misnomer on my part. To be correct, she will be followed in the office by Mr. Carpenter. No one will ever replace her. Retirement for Rosemary does not mean she will immediately take up knitting at some condo in Sun City. She won't even hide out at her home in the Berkeley hills. OK, she might do some more knitting, it's always been a hobby. But those needles are much sharper than the standard issue dime store needles--maybe they're those Addi Turbo 47 inch circular brass knitting needles with finely honed points--and they will still be used with great dexterity to prod an occasionally recalcitrant industry onwards. In this interview, I asked her to construct a mini-hall of fame and induct an inaugural class of people she has worked with in her long career. It was an impressive list but short one name. In any meat industry hall of fame, her name will be listed at the top in recognition of the lengthy and positive impact she's had. Let's spend five minutes with Rosemary as she prepares to slowly and reluctantly step away. It's been said that retirement isn't for sissies and that's something you've never been accused of being. So are you really going to do it this time and what does retirement mean to a hyper-active, over-achiever like you? On February 1, 2007, when Barry Carpenter accepts the position of CEO/Executive Director, my status with NMA will change to Director Emeritus. I expect to turn over the ceo responsibilities to Barry, and as we proceed through a transition time, to be able to focus my time and energy on many undone activities for which there has been very limited time. Retirement is a misnomer really, and because Barry will be recused from certain activities with his former employer, I will be an interim bridge for those purposes. I'm certainly not retiring to my cottage in the hills of Berkeley to knit full time! In military terms, you seem to be doing a ``phased withdrawal'' from your duties at NMA. What will keep you busy as your time out of the office expands? Oh, there are lots of things on the horizon! I'd like to visit and work with individual members more, I'd like to have the time to go through lots of history and big files that have accumulated over the years, and probably to do a little writing about the changes we've already seen, and what might lie ahead. How about a short history lesson? How and when did you get started in the trade association business? A little background on ``why,'' too I was hired by then Pacific Coast Meat Jobbers Association on February 1, 1961 as the secretary in a two-person office. Our major focus was collective bargaining on behalf of Bay Area meat jobbers and processors. There were a couple of changes in the man that I worked for that year, and we got through labor negotiations, and by early 1962 I had a new boss who was a lawyer and accountant. After the 1964 negotiations, he told me I was not good as a secretary, and why did I not go back to school and get educated, so I went to Golden Gate University and after five years received my BA in Accounting in 1970. By that time, the boss was back practicing law, and in absentia, so I got to fill the void and apply what I had learned and we were in the years of implementation of the 1967 changes to the Federal Meat Inspection Act. We were innovative and energetic, I made friends with the bigger organization, Western States Meat Packers Association, and in 1982, under the leadership of Cal Santare of WSMPA, we merged Pacific Coast and WSMPA into Western States Meat Association. In 1996, because of broader interest in what WSMA was doing, we changed the name to National Meat Association. It's been an exciting and bumpy ride! You've had the opportunity to meet and work with many of the legends in the business. Let's construct a mini-hall of fame here and induct the inaugural members. Who would they be and why would you include them? First the man who hired me: Tom Morton, who went on to be very successful in the investment business. I should have followed him! Don Houston, FSIS Administrator, was a good friend, and provided critical access for me to the USDA regulatory process. Cal Santare, who believed that a woman could do it, when many of his cohorts didn't think so! Al Piccetti, of San Francisco Sausage, a former President of PCMA, who encouraged me to reach for my dreams. Ben Goehring, of Goehring Meat, another former President of PCMA and later of WMSA, who inspired me with strength and friendship. Kathi Mosie, of Saag's Products, who never failed to be supportive. Phil Bauer of Federal Meat, who had to fight for me on principle, and thus earned unpopularity with some associates. Cal Faello of King Meat who went to the mat for me as a matter of principle. John Duyn of Carlton Farms who helped me to make change from good old boys to the next generation. Dick Lyng, whom I knew in California, who showed me by example how to be a better politician Phil Olsson of Olsson, Frank & Weeda, friend, lawyer, counselor and absolutely straight arrow for over 30 years. In the industry, many of the toughies reached out to be helpful to me, including Bob Peterson, Ken Monfort, and more recently Joe Luter. John Miller is a longtime friend, People like Bill Buckner, Dick Bond (whose first job was for one of the early [[Page 2138]] WSMPA legends, Homer Glover), Rich Vesta, Bernie and Joe Clougherty, Gary Waldman, Terry Caviness, Dave Wood, Les Oesterreich, Warren Wilcox and Harvey Dietrich. In academia, I can never forget Russell Cross, Gary Smith, Jeff Savell, Roger Mandigo, Gary Acuff, and Elsa Murano and lots more. And Lou Gast whom I first knew at FSIS in the early 80s has come through over and over again. Indeed, I have been blessed, and while there are many omissions from this group, my strength has come from the generosity and kindness of many, many people in this great industry. You've accomplished a lot during your tenure at WSMA/NMA. What achievements stand out the most? Running a trade organization is not like playing a football game. There are not winners and losers after a fixed amount of game time! Some legal wins, such as the Supreme case on Salmonella Testing at the 5th Circuit Court was a powerful event. Also, the driving energy by NMA to get the U.S. Canadian Border open was a special ``win.'' But the big win is the strong support of people for the goals of NMA and what it stands for, for the respect shown toward me and this organization for what it does to serve the needs and interests of the industry, and for the appreciation of members, large and small, for what we stand for and the efforts we make. Using your many years of experience, let's look ahead. What does the future look like from your vantage point? Can you talk about issues that we can look at with pride as well as the issues that might create some problems? I see lots of opportunities that lie ahead! The 21st Century will be a stimulating and exciting time for firms that pay attention to what consumers want to buy, rather than make a commodity product to ship out. There is a huge amount of innovation going on as we speak in this great industry. I think we need to provide the next generation with relatively simple information about how to make food taste good and be safe, all at the same time. There are a zillion cookbooks, but in addition to easy meals for consumers on the rush, there is a need to demonstrate that good food is a catalyst for good friends and families to get together. I like it best when I hear that competitors can find common ground with each other in the marketplace. No one is going to eat the same item over and over again. Variety, reasonable portion size, and good taste is very important, I think there are big opportunities for developing new niche markets, and trade organizations will be challenged to fairly represent their members interests in the upcoming debates. I think there are opportunities for small Individuals to bring forward their idea, and it gives me the greatest pleasure to help small firms that have the dynamic energy to grow their market share with a good idea. As Barry Carpenter prepares to pick up the torch, what advice do you have to give him? Barry brings strengths to the leadership of this organization that are quite different to mine. He is highly respected for his capacity to understand this industry, and for honesty and integrity. I am thrilled that he will take over, and I will try not to get in his way as he leads with new ideas and creativity and builds on the strengths of NMA as we know it today. NMA's member response services have created a new gold standard for the industry, for large and small firms. Our availability to assist and guide firms through the maze of regulatory requirements is legendary. I will continue to support Barry in any way appropriate and possible and am thrilled that the lengthy transition will give us opportunities to work together in a different way to serve the needs and interests of our great meat industry, and liberate me to think about new projects that can be valuable for the future of our organization. ____________________