Picture L to R: Des Yawn, Brian Barrett, Jeff Goward, Chad Gregory

UEP recognized and celebrated three individuals who have made a lasting impact on the U.S. egg farming community. The awards were announced at the Annual Conference Awards Banquet on October 16 by UEP President Chad Gregory.

Brian Barrett was awarded UEP’s 2019 Egg Producer of the Year. Barrett has been an active member of UEP, serving on the organization’s board since 2002.  In 2017, Barrett was elected chairman of the UEP Board of Directors. During his tenure, Barrett helped guide the egg industry through many issues, including hen housing, animal well-being, food safety and environmental responsibility.

For decades, Des Yawn has been a valued business partner, advisor, industry supporter and friend to UEP and received the President’s Award. An expert in loss prevention and control, Yawn is a senior vice president at Palomar Insurance, and leads the Palomar team, which provides insurance guidance and solutions to UEP farmer-members.

Jeff Goward was recognized for his dedicated leadership, serving as allied chairman of the United Egg Association for the past two years.  Goward has been an active member of the egg farming community for more than 30 years and works for Sanovo Technology where he serves as a regional sales manager.