Experts ready to work with your staff
These experts are ready to work with you and your staff one-on-one to create customized materials and programs that fit your customers' needs. The current experts — a PhD dietitian and a veterinarian — are a perfect fit to bring you facts and information about PM Beef products from the family farm to your customer's table.
Melissa Southern, PhD, RD, LD — dietitian
As a council member, Dr. Southern is the expert for resource development of key nutritional messages, fact sheets, customizable point-of-sale materials, talking points about the dietary benefits of various beef choices and how beef fits in a healthy lifestyle. She also provides information and/or resources for PM Beef customer-specific nutritional topics or needs, including ethnic (halal, kosher, etc.) beef products.
Dr. Southern is a licensed and registered dietitian residing in Kerrville, Texas. She received degrees from Trinity University in San Antonio, The University of Texas at Austin, and the University of HEI in Geneva, Switzerland. Dr. Southern also completed her dietetic internship at the prestigious Houston Medical Center.
Dr. Southern works as a media spokesperson and consultant on nutrition trends and marketing. She has been a speaker at several national and international conferences, including those for Certified Angus Beef, LLC, American Dietetic Association, and American Meat Institute/Food Marketing Institute. Dr. Southern has coordinated on-site speaking, sampling and media events for top retailers and developed bilingual and culturally appropriate nutrition education materials for her clients around the world. She has lived and worked in over 12 countries on four continents around the world.
Simon Timmermans, DVM, MS — veterinarian, ruminant nutritionist
As a council member, Dr. Timmermans is the expert on cattle raising practices and can provide the background and scientific basis for how PM Beef producers — family farmers — and the production practices they utilize help provide a high-quality, delicious, consistent and safe beef product to consumers. As a veterinarian and nutritionist, he provides information and resources related to animal production practices including animal handling (certified humane where appropriate), animal health, genetics, environmental stewardship, process-verified programs, beef quality assurance (BQA) standards, ration/diet formulation and nutrition, and other beef production areas.
Dr. Timmermans is a native of Washington State. His early interest in ruminant nutrition and veterinary medicine came from growing up on his family dairy farm. He attended Washington State University and earned a master's degree in animal science ruminant nutrition. He graduated from Iowa State University with a doctor of veterinary medicine (DVM) degree.
Dr. Timmermans' practice is exclusively ruminant nutrition and medicine, with both dairy and beef clients. His specialty is helping his clients understand the role of nutrition in animal health which includes the importance of proper trace-mineral nutrition. He is on the advisory board of feed companies and meat-marketing organizations due to his experience in all-natural feeding strategies. He is a member of American Association of Bovine Practitioners, American Society of Animal Science, and Academy of Veterinary Consultants. Currently, he resides in Sibley, Iowa with his wife and three daughters.
The Wellness & Nutrition Council™ — your own personal resource
The Wellness & Nutrition Council™ engages other professionals whose expertise addresses
consumer awareness and beef industry issues as you need them. Expert resources include:
- Nutrition researchers
- Medical professionals
- Food scientists
- Animal scientists
- Chefs and other culinary experts