LAUREL, Miss. - September 22, 2015 - Now the third largest poultry producer in the nation, Sanderson Farms, Inc. has grown by leaps and bounds. Among the company's expansions is the addition of a corporate communication team composed of a Communication Manager and Graphic Designer.

Ashley Rea has been named Communication Manager, a position responsible for leading the company's newly-formed Corporate Communication Department and all of its associated responsibilities. Rea will continue to serve as Managing Editor of the Sanderson Farms Newsletter, a bimonthly publication reaching more than 300,000 annual readers across 43 different states. Aside from her duties as an editor, she will be responsible for identifying and executing strategies related to the company's approach to media relations and corporate communication. More specifically, Rea will work closely with media organizations and industry trade associations to further the long-term interests of Sanderson Farms and the poultry industry. In addition to spearheading the company's communication efforts, Rea will ensure adequate internal communication is maintained amongst the company's nearly 12,000 employees spanning across 21 divisions in five states and 13 different cities. Rea is a summa cum laude graduate of Mississippi College, where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Communication with a concentration in Public Relations. After graduation, Rea pursued a graduate degree at the University of Southern Mississippi, where she received a Master of Science degree in Public Relations. During college, Rea received many writing and academic research awards, gaining conference acclaim for her research by the Southeastern Journalism Conference and the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication. Rea began her career with Sanderson Farms in 2013 as a Summer Intern before being hired as a Communications Trainee, a position she has held until her promotion. As Communications Trainee, Rea served as Managing Editor of the Sanderson Farms Newsletter, a role accountable for all writing, editing, photography and graphic design responsibilities associated with publishing a bimonthly periodical. Prior to joining Sanderson Farms, the central Louisiana native completed internships with the University of Mississippi Medical Center's Division of Public Affairs, as well as the Mississippi-based advertising agency, Godwin Group's Department of Public Relations.

The second addition to the poultry producer's new Corporate Communication Department is Lorin McAlpin, who was recently named Graphic Designer. As Graphic Designer, McAlpin will continue to serve as the Graphic Arts Editor and Photographer for the Sanderson Farms Newsletter. Aside from her duties as an editor, she will be responsible for designing employee communication materials intended to inform, engage and increase the effectiveness of management and employees.

McAlpin is a magna cum laude graduate of Mississippi College, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Graphic Design with an emphasis in photography. At Mississippi College, McAlpin was named Undergraduate of the Year in 2013 and was an award winner in the university's annual Competitive Art Show for two consecutive years. During college, McAlpin served as the Graphics Editor and Photographer for a student newspaper, The Collegian, as well as working as a Graphic Design Student Worker for the school's Alumni Advancement Department.

McAlpin began her career with Sanderson Farms as a Beginning Trainee. Prior to joining Sanderson Farms, McAlpin worked as a freelance graphic designer and photographer for two years. She completed an internship with the Mississippi Children's Museum in Jackson, where she worked as a Marketing and Graphic Design Intern. A native of Magee, Mississippi, McAlpin relocated to Laurel from Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

Sanderson Farms, Inc., founded in 1947, is engaged in the production, processing, marketing and distribution of fresh and frozen chicken and other prepared food items. Employing more than 11,000 employees in operations spanning five states and 13 different cities, Sanderson Farms is the third largest poultry producer in the United States. As a company, Sanderson Farms is committed to adopting a fresh approach in everything that they do. Not only where products are concerned, but companywide as well. Though the company has grown in size, it still adheres to the same hometown values of honesty, integrity and innovation that were established when the Sanderson family founded the company back in 1947.

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