Jesse Fulton, M.S. serves as the director of animal health and welfare at the Meat Institute where he provides timely assistance, analysis, guidance, and technical support for the meat, and poultry packing and processing industry on various topics, including animal production, health, handling, welfare, foreign animal disease, veterinary drugs, and pathology. As the staff liaison to the Animal Welfare Committee, Fulton ensures members have a forum for discussing issues, sharing best practices, and establishing industry-wide positions. Fulton oversees the
Animal Welfare Guidelines and Audit. He provides technical support to other committees and represents the Meat Institute at external meetings and before government agencies on animal health and welfare issues.

Before joining the Meat Institute, Fulton spent five years with the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and nearly five years with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where he directed the Nebraska Beef Quality Assurance program.

Fulton received his Bachelor of Science in Animal Science from Morehead State University, his Master of Science in Animal Science from South Dakota State University with research focusing on beef cattle fetal programming and is currently pursuing his Doctorate of Philosophy in Animal Science from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln with his research focusing on ruminant nutrition.