BERLIN — State Senator Jim Mathias and West Ocean City resident Jeff Smith were among the several individuals recognized for their contributions last week by the Delmarva Poultry Industry Inc. (DPI) during the trade association’s annual Booster Banquet.
Three individuals, including Mathias and Smith, were honored with individual awards and a dozen other chicken growers across the shore were also recognized.
Mathias was honored with the DPI Medal of Achievement for an elected official for his legislative work on behalf of the poultry industry on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. According to a DPI statement, examples of Mathias’ efforts on behalf of the chicken industry include his work to help growers deal with chicken houses damaged by a blizzard a few years ago; seeking meetings with the governor to share chicken industry concerns, helping to slow down or stop the proposed phosphorous management tool (PMT) regulations under the previous governor; including money in the budget to help fund a partial economic impact study, working to make sure Governor Larry Hogan’s own PMT proposal was practical and reasonable and supporting a large tax exemption for farm estates.
“Without his involvement in the phosphorous management tool issue starting two years ago, a bad regulation would have been in place instead of the new proposal that is much more farm friendly,” the DPI statement reads. “His close relationship with the president of the Senate has allowed the chicken industry’s interests to be heard in leadership meeting where they otherwise might not be heard.”
Meanwhile, Smith was also honored with the Edward H. Ralph DPI Medal of Achievement for his years of work on behalf of the Delmarva poultry industry. Smith, the immediate past chairman of the DPI environmental committee and is the director of Environmental Services for Perdue after holding a similar position with Mountaire.
“Whether providing advice to the DPI executive director and Board of Directors, leading committee meetings, representing Delmarva’s chicken industry at local and national meetings, interpreting proposed laws and regulations and much more, Mr. Smith went the extra mile to work for the entire Delmarva chicken industry and not just his employer,” the DPI statement reads.