Mike Brown, who recently retired as the president of the National Chicken Council (NCC), faces criminal charges in Collier County, Florida.
Brown, 64, was arrested on June 7 on charges of battery – touch or strike another against their will. He was taken into custody in Collier County, but bonded out on the same day, according to information from the Collier County Sheriff’s Office.
Ten days after the arrest was made, NCC announced that Brown had retired.
“We are aware of the situation. Mike is no longer with NCC and is dealing with a personal matter," said Tom Super, NCC senior vice president, communications.
Brown, a resident of Harbeson, Delaware, is scheduled for a July 3 court date.
According to Brown’s LinkedIn profile, he worked for nearly 16 as the senior vice president of legislative affairs for the American Meat Institute until joining the NCC in March 2011. The American Meat Institute and North American Meat Association merged in 2015 to form the North American Meat Institute. Earlier this year, the organization simplified its name, rebranding as the Meat Institute.
Interim leadership at NCC
At the same time NCC issued a press release announcing Brown’s retirement, it revealed that Gary Jay Kushner was named interim president. Kushner recently retired from the law firm Hogan Lovells US LLP and while with that firm, he served as NCC’s outside general counsel for more than 40 years.
A nationwide search for a permanent replacement for Brown is underway.
