Saint Paul – Governor Tim Pawlenty today announced the appointment of Paul Hanowski to the Board of Animal Health.

Hanowski, of Swanville, co-owns and operates four family farms in Morrison County that produce 800,000 turkeys annually. Previously, he worked for Gesell Turkey Farms in Swanville where his duties included developing and maintaining animal health programs, human resources, financial analysis, and scheduling the production of two million turkeys. Hanowski earned his bachelor of science degree in biology from St. John’s University in Collegeville. He is a former member of the board of directors and past president of the Minnesota Turkey Growers Association; helped organize, establish, and co-chair the Avian Pneumovirus Task Force; and was a member of the Turkey Research Committee. Hanowski replaces Mahesh Kumar as a livestock producer on the Board of Animal Health, and is appointed to a four year term that expires January 6, 2014.

The Board of Animal Health oversees numerous voluntary and mandatory programs that focus on controlling and eradicating animal diseases in Minnesota. The Board consists of five members appointed by the Governor.