Ohio Poultry Association recognizes 2026 award recipients

The Ohio Poultry Association (OPA) announced its 2026 award recipients during its annual celebration banquet held on Sept. 10 in Columbus. This year, OPA presented the Golden Feather Award and four Rising Star Awards.

Golden Feather Award

The Golden Feather Award recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to Ohio’s egg and poultry industry. This year, OPA was pleased to honor Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) Director Brian Baldridge with this award.

“Director Baldridge has been a committed advocate for Ohio agriculture throughout his career, from his service in the Ohio legislature to his leadership at the Ohio Department of Agriculture,” said Jim Chakeres, OPA executive vice president. “He has long been a trusted partner and respected voice for our industry, and we are proud to honor him for his unwavering support of Ohio’s poultry farming community.”

Director Baldridge has demonstrated a strong commitment to Ohio agriculture through his leadership, collaboration and advocacy. With deep Ohio and agricultural roots, he brings both personal experience and policy expertise to his role. Before joining ODA, he served two terms in the Ohio House of Representatives, including service on the House Agriculture Committee. Since his appointment as ODA Director in 2023, he has provided leadership on issues impacting Ohio’s farmers and agricultural industry.

Director Baldridge has worked closely with Ohio’s poultry industry, particularly during the challenges posed by highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). He has supported response efforts to protect animal health and strengthen disease preparedness. His leadership has extended to Ohio’s new Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, which will open later this year, and will enhance the state’s ability to detect and respond to emerging animal disease threats.

Rising Star Awards

OPA also recognized four individuals for their early-career success as young leaders in Ohio’s poultry farming community through the Rising Star Award. Recipients included Cole Luthman of Cooper Farms, Emily Hookway of Trillium Farms, Reid Linder of Cooper Farms, and Raul Buendia of Trillium Farms.

“These individuals have excelled in their fields and demonstrated strong leadership, often going above and beyond their responsibilities,” Chakeres said. “We hope this award marks an early milestone in their careers in the poultry industry and serves as a catalyst for even greater success.

Cole Luthman, Cooper Farms

Luthman’s connection to agriculture began on his family’s grain farm and continued when he started working for a local poultry farmer at age 14. Since then, he has earned an Ohio FFA Proficiency award in poultry production and graduated from Wright State University – Lake Campus in 2020 with a degree in agribusiness.

After graduating, Luthman joined Cooper Farms’ chicken service department and was promoted to lead service representative at age 25. Today, he oversees more than 5 million birds while also operating as a contract grower. In 2024, he expanded his poultry experience by building his own aviary-style laying hen barn.

Emily Hookway, Trillium Farms

Hookway is a graduate of The Ohio State University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in animal science. In 2019, she joined Trillium Farms as an assistant pullet manager and was promoted to pullet manager the following year before serving as pullet production manager. In 2023, Hookway started as the Ohio pullet business unit leader.

Throughout her career, she has focused on the health and growth of the farms’ hens while overseeing 25 barns across multiple sites. In 2021, she was recognized as an International Production & Processing Expo (IPPE) Top 30 Under 30 Leaders of Tomorrow award recipient.

Reid Linder, Cooper Farms

Linder joined Cooper Farms in 2017 as a graphic designer on the corporate communications team, where his visual communication background helped build a strong foundation of sales content. In 2019, he transitioned to the egg sales division as an egg sales representative during a period of significant growth.

Today, Linder serves as national sales manager, representing both the egg and deli divisions. He builds key relationships and advances the Cooper Farms story on a national scale, sharing the values, quality and traditions that have defined Cooper Farms for four generations, dating back to 1938.

Raul Buendia, Trillium Farms

Buendia has been part of the poultry industry for the past eight years, beginning his career at Trillium Farms shortly after high school. He started in maintenance, where he learned the operation, equipment and production processes.

As he gained experience, Buendia took on additional responsibilities and expanded his knowledge across the business. He progressed from maintenance into production leadership, and now serves as a production manager, leading a production department and team. Through his work, Buendia is proud to provide safe, nutritious, high-quality eggs for families across Ohio.

Ohio is one of the largest egg farming states in the nation, producing about 11 billion eggs each year. Additionally, Ohio is ranked eighth nationally in turkey production and Ohio chicken farms produce more than 573 million pounds of chicken annually. Ohio’s egg, chicken and turkey farmers make their animals’ health and well-being a top priority year-round and are proud to provide Ohioans with high-quality, wholesome food products.

For more information about egg, chicken and turkey farming, visit www.OhioPoultry.org.