For her outstanding service to her team and the broader pork industry, Smithfield Foods' Cathy Vaughan was awarded an Oklahoma Pork Council Excellence Award at the recent Oklahoma Pork Congress in Oklahoma City.
In 2018, the Oklahoma Pork Council established Excellence Awards to recognize those pork producers who have made the daily work of raising pigs more than just a job, but a passionate calling to take care of their animals and the people around them. This award covers all sectors of pork production, and it rewards those outstanding producers who excel in at least one of Oklahoma Pork’s four strategic intentions.
Throughout her pork career spanning 18 years, Cathy Vaughan has advocated for the industry at every level. Her decades of servant leadership and passionate community engagement led Cathy’s peers at Smithfield Foods to nominate her for a 2023 Oklahoma Pork Council Excellence Award.
Cathy serves as the Safety and Communications Coordinator for the Smithfield Foods Hog Production Division in Oklahoma. While working with more than 230 employees throughout Smithfield’s Oklahoma operation, Cathy continually devotes time to industry involvement beyond her company. She has been an active Oklahoma Pork Council member for more than a decade, including service as board president in 2019-2020. She has also participated in various leadership and advocacy programs including Pork Leadership Institute (PLI), Legislative Action Conference (LAC), and Operation Main Street (OMS).
Right now, Cathy proudly represents Oklahoma and Smithfield Foods through service on the National Pork Board (NPB) Nominating Committee, helping recruit and prepare pork producers from across the country for national leadership roles. In addition to her fulfilling pork industry career, Cathy has served as a longtime cheerleading coach and travel advisor. She and her husband Travis began a new chapter this fall when their twin daughters began college at Oklahoma State University.
Thank you, Cathy, for modeling excellence as a community leader and pork producer!