Lacey attended the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana. While there, she earned a bachelor’s degree in Animal Science Biotechnology and Meat Animal Science. Lacey started as an operations associate in Ottumwa, IA in 2005. She spent several months on the slaughter floor prior to her time in the livestock yards. Two years later, Lacey joined the pork procurement team. She was a relief buyer all over the Midwest for a year and then was promoted to operate her own barns in Kalona and Washington, IA. She bought hogs for Cargill for five years. Then, Lacey became an animal welfare specialist for Cargill Pork. In that job, she oversaw animal welfare for the slaughter plants and live operations group and sat on National Pork Board Committees.
In 2015, Lacey became the Cargill Beef Welfare Lead. Her current responsibilities include overseeing beef slaughter animal welfare in 8 North American plants, designing and implementing animal welfare programs for beef slaughter, engaging with FSIS and CFIA, sitting on several industry animal welfare committees for both beef and pork, and driving research opportunities surrounding animal welfare at Cargill beef.