Brett Kaysen, Ph.D.

Brett L. Kaysen, Ph.D. is the senior vice president of producer and state engagement for the National Pork Board. He leads the organization-wide grassroot relations effort to support pork producers in their priorities and build trust and add value in U.S. Pork. He also serves as the administrator for the U.S. Pork Center of Excellence.

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Background

Prior to his role at NPB, Brett was the Western Regional Business Director for the U.S. Pork Business at Zoetis and led a team of 11 sales professionals who served pork producers and swine veterinarians with their animal health needs. While at Zoetis, he also was a Dairy Production Specialist, helping dairy producers apply data and genomics to improve health and profitability on their dairies in Colorado and Kansas.   

Before joining Zoetis, Dr. Kaysen was a key member of the Animal Sciences department at Colorado State University (CSU) in Fort Collins. There, he spent five years as Interim Undergraduate Teaching Coordinator and 13 years in various instructor positions; in 2012, he was selected to receive the Best Teacher Award given by the CSU Alumni Association. 

Education

Dr. Kaysen earned his degrees from Colorado State University. He holds a B.A. in Animal Science, an M.A. in Agricultural Extension Education, and a Ph.D. in Animal Sciences, Management Systems. He resides in Iowa, where he, his wife, and their two daughters raise pigs which they enjoy showing locally and nationally.  

Industry Involvement

Dr. Kaysen believes strongly in youth leadership development and has served on the National Junior Swine Association as Youth Advisory Board Chairman. In addition, during his time at Colorado State University, he coached the livestock judging team for six years and spent two years as Youth Extension Specialist where he developed numerous 4-H livestock materials and programs to further strengthen Colorado’s agricultural youth programs. In 2016, he was inducted into the Colorado 4-H Hall of Fame. 

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