Jul 19, 2021 - John Baker Retires from Sanderson Farms Board of Directors

After 26 years of serving on Sanderson Farms' board of directors, John Baker retired in December 2020. During his service on the company's board of directors, Baker's focus on increasing shareholder value through greenfield expansion established a standard that has been fundamental to the company's strategy for prudent growth.

'Johnny Baker has been a valued member of our board of directors since 1994,' said Joe F. Sanderson Jr., chairman of the board and chief executive officer of Sanderson Farms. 'His many years of experience as a successful entrepreneur in real estate development provided an important perspective in the development and implementation of our greenfield expansion plans. The company built seven poultry processing plants under his leadership, four of those in his adopted home state of Texas.'

In addition to serving on the company's board of directors, Baker dedicated his career to real estate development, serving as proprietor of John H. Baker Interests, a real estate and development company in Houston, Texas that built, owns and previously managed office buildings and shopping centers throughout southeast Texas since 1968. As his long-standing tenure on the company's board of directors indicates, agriculture is also an interest of Baker's as he owns and manages a 1,500-acre ranch in southeast Texas that maintains an active cow-calf operation producing registered calves for market and cultivating hay and other crops.

'His expertise in livestock management and associated agri-business matters was especially relevant to the management of our poultry operations,' continued Sanderson. 'We are grateful for his important work in serving on our audit and compensation committees and for his invaluable contributions toward increasing long-term shareholder value.'

Prior to retirement, Baker served on the board of trustees of Baylor College of Medicine, Houston Baptist University and held numerous directorships for over 40 years with community banks throughout Texas. A graduate of Mississippi State University, Baker earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree.

'We will certainly miss his great sense of humor and the wisdom and insight he provided as a board member,' said Sanderson. 'Most importantly, the company will benefit for years to come from his example of principled leadership based on honesty, integrity, fairness and equity. We wish Johnny, his wife, Carla, and his family all the best in his retirement.'