Mack Walker, who has worked for McCarty Farms and Tyson Foods for 50 years is the latest member of the Mississippi Poultry Hall of Fame. He is Tyson’s Complex Manager for Mississippi Live Operations.
The announcement was made at the MPA Convention at the Sandestin Hilton. Mack joins 38 other individuals who founded, grew, managed, and solved problems within the state’s poultry industry. The Hall of Fame, located in the Mississippi State University Poultry Science Department, was created in 1973 to recognize outstanding contributions to the state’s largest agricultural industry.
Raised on a farm in Smith County, Mack graduated from Mississippi State University with a degree in dairy science but has spent his career with chickens. He went to work for McCarty Farms in 1975. He first worked under his brother Tommy at McCarty. He was hired to work in the processing plant and then he moved to the production side and later, the tables turned, and Tommy worked for Mack. Tyson bought McCarty Farms in 1995. Both are Magee High School and MSU graduates.
Two characteristics that those who nominated Mack or who spoke about him were his mentoring younger people in the industry and his faith in Christ.
Mississippi State University officials say he always has time for students, others said he educates on a daily basis, has never met a stranger and that he treats everyone with dignity, while making everyone around him a better person.
Dr. Danny Magee, last year’s Hall of Fame Inductee, who introduced Mack said he “truly has his priorities in order – faith, family, and career.”
His supervisor at Tyson, Melvin Fulson , said of Mack, who is planning to retire in 2026, “He will be missed, but he has been coaching and developing future leaders. We will lose a lot when Mack retires, but he has built a strong performing team and his legacy will continue through them. We will see a lot of him going forward in those he developed.”
Mack and his wife Toni have four children and four grandchildren. They attend Goodwater Baptist Church where he is a deacon.
