Steven Douglas Murphy, age 75, of Clive, Iowa, passed away peacefully at his home on Dec. 15 surrounded by his family, after a hard-fought battle with cancer. Murphy was selected as the National Pork Board’s first chief executive officer in October 2001, and was known for establishing an entrepreneurial culture centered on empowering people and integrating teams, strategic partnerships and alliances.
Born on January 31, 1950, in Kentland, Indiana, Murphy grew up with small-town roots, big dreams and an unwavering loyalty to Purdue University, where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in pharmacy.
Prior to the National Pork Board, Murphy led the creation of three start-up companies centered on leading-edge technologies and information management strategies. He was a founder and president/COO of AgWeb. Before that he was vice president for Data Broadcasting Corporation and founder and president of their AgCast Division…