Tom Tabler
Professor and Extension Poultry Specialist
The UT Poultry Science Club honored two extraordinary departmental supporters at the Animal Science Department’s Annual Awards Banquet on May 5th. The Distinguished Poultry Science Alumni Award went to David Wilds of Koch Foods in Morristown. David is the Regional Vice President of Operations for Koch Foods. His deep-rooted connection to agriculture began on his family’s dairy and beef cattle farm in Parrottsville, Tennessee. David attended the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, where he earned a B.S. in Agriculture with a major in Animal Science and a minor in Biology in 1992. He is a long-time supporter of UT Animal Science and its poultry programs.
David began his professional journey with Perdue Farms in Salisbury, Maryland, as a manager trainee. Throughout his early career, he gained diverse experience managing hatcheries and serving as a field service technician for broiler and Cornish hen operations. His leadership potential was recognized early when he was elected President of the Eastern Shore Hatchery Association in 1995.
In 1997, David returned to Tennessee to join Seaboard Farms in Chattanooga, where he held various supervisory and managerial roles in processing and deboning operations. His career with Koch Foods began in 2001 as a Plant Manager in Morristown, leading to his promotion to Complex Manager in 2004. In January 2024, he ascended to his current role as Regional Vice President of Operations.
Parallel to his corporate success, David is a dedicated advocate for the poultry industry. He has served as a Board Member for the Tennessee Poultry Association for over a decade and has held the office of President for two terms (2018–2019 and 2024–2025). Outside of his professional life, David is a devoted family man. He and his wife, Jessica, also a University of Tennessee graduate, have three daughters: Ella, a graduate student in Forestry at UT Knoxville; Lily, a nursing student at Lincoln Memorial University; and Edie, a social work student at Lincoln Memorial University.
The Distinguished Poultry Science Sponsor Award went to Tracy Rafferty, Executive Director of the Tennessee Poultry Association. Tracy grew up in Western Kentucky where her family raised tobacco. She graduated from the University of Kentucky with a degree in Marketing. After roles in the cell phone and paper industries, she returned to agriculture in 2013 with the Tennessee Poultry Association, becoming Executive Director in 2023. She is passionate about education, and considers it an honor to serve young people through TPA’s scholarship program and takes advantage of every invitation to share the wonderful opportunities available to the next generation in Tennessee’s poultry industry.
Tracy and her husband, Mike, married in 1988 and moved to Tennessee in 1991. They have three adult children—Jamie, an occupational therapist; Blake, a neuroscientist and assistant professor; and Zeke, an electrical engineer—and six grandchildren.
The Animal Science Department and our poultry students are grateful for all the support of Tracy and the Tennessee Poultry Association to the next generation of poultry industry leaders and I am personally grateful for all the support that Tracy and the Tennessee Poultry Association give me in my Extension role in working with the commercial poultry industry across Tennessee.
On behalf of the Animal Science Department and Poultry Science Club, congratulations to David Wilds and Tracy Rafferty and thank you for your significant contributions in support of our Animal Science programs at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
