The Hormel Foundation announced Friday that Dick Knowlton will retire as board chairman after 32 years as director. He will step down in November when foundation Vice Chair Gary J. Ray will assume duties as chair of the 19-member board.

“This is a significant moment in the foundation’s history,” said Ray in a statement Friday. “The entire community of Austin owes a debt of gratitude to Richard Knowlton for his years of contribution and service to our community.”

Knowlton was president, CEO and chairman of the board from 1981 to 1995. He joined the Hormel Foundation in 1979, becoming chairman in 1995. He was inducted into the Minnesota Business Hall of Fame last year. He’s won many awards for his leadership as well, including Carnegie-Mellon’s Outstanding Crisis Manager of the Year in 1987, the Anti-Defamation League’s Man of Achievement Award in 1990, the Industry Advancement Award by the American Meat Institute in 1993 and was inducted into the Meat Industry Hall of Fame in 2009.

“Dick’s vision will last forever in Austin as a result of the projects that he completed,” said Steven Rizzi, Foundation Secretary.

During his time as chairman, the foundation gave more than $87 million to projects benefitting the Austin community, including a $5 million Community Initiative Fund to help settle immigrants in the area, $2.8 million for a science lab renovation at Austin High School and a total of $2 million for two expansions of Mayo Clinic Health Systems — Austin. The foundation announced it recently gave $750,000 to Mayo —Austin’s upcoming $28.5 million expansion starting in July.

Ray is no slouch when it comes to business leadership. He retired in 2008 from Hormel Foods as President of Protein Business Units, capping off a 40-year career. He joined the foundation in 1996 and was elected Vice Chair last December.

“Gary is a very dedicated to the Austin community,” Rizzi said.

Knowlton and Ray were not immediately available for comment.

KNOWLTON’S HONORS AND AWARDS:

1982 University of Colorado Athletic Hall of Honor
1987 Outstanding Crisis Manager of the Year by Carnegie-Mellon
1989 Univ. of Colorado Distinguished Alumni Gallery for accomplishments in
business
1989 William H. Albers Award – by the Food Marketing Institute in recognition
of contributions to the food industry (highest award)
Two Gold, two Silver, three Bronze awards presented annually by the
WALL STREET TRANSCRIPT to the Outstanding CEO in the Food
Processing and Commodity Categories
1990 Man of Achievement Award – by the Anti-Defamation League
1991 Honorary American FFA Degree (highest honorary award of FFA)
Honorary Member – Mayo Alumni Association
1992 Distinguished American Award – Horatio Alger Association
elected president in 1998 and chairman in 2000
1993 Industry Advancement Award – American Meat Institute
1993 University Medal – University of Colorado
1995 Univ. of Colorado, Leeds School of Business -Distinguished Alumni Award
1995 Minnesota State Athletic Directors’ Association – Distinguished Alumni
Award
1996 Herbert Hoover Award – National-American Wholesale Grocers’ Assn
(highest award
2000 Richard L. Knowlton Award for Innovation created by Meat Marketing &
Technology, a leading trade publication for meat processors and
meatpackers in North America. This is an annual award recognizing individuals
whose leadership has created a lasting effect on the meat
industry.
2000 Norman Vincent and Ruth Stafford Peale Humanitarian Award
(a national award presented to Mr. and Mrs. Knowlton)
2005 Horatio Alger Association’s Norman Vincent Peale Award
2009 Inducted, Meat Industry Hall of Fame – Inaugural award – Chicago, Illinois
2009 University of Colorado, Leeds Business School Distinguished Alumni Award
2010 George Norlin Distinguished Lifetime Achievement Award – Univ. of
Colorado Alumni Association
2010 Inducted, Minnesota Business Hall of Fame – Twin Cities Business Magazine