NCBA Members Elect Officers, Begin Planning for Future
Nearly 7,600 members of the cattle community enjoyed fellowship, fun, education and leadership opportunities during the 2018 Cattle Industry Convention & NCBA Trade Show, which ended in Phoenix, Ariz., Feb. 3.
Most in attendance enjoyed a huge and energetic trade show, with more than 350 exhibitors on more than seven acres of floor and outside space. Holding business meetings at the event were the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion and Research Board, American National CattleWomen, CattleFax and the National Cattlemen’s Foundation. Members of NCBA also elected officers and engaged in a grassroots policy process at the event.
Ascending to the position of NCBA president at the NCBA board meeting Feb. 3 was Kevin Kester, who in 2017 served as president-elect. Kester is a fifth generation California rancher who was born and raised in the Parkfield area of southern Monterey County, where his family has lived for more than 125 years. They have a yearling stocker and an Angus-based commercial cow-calf operation, and also farm wine grapes on their 22,000 acre ranch.
Voted in as president-elect was Jennifer Houston of Sweetwater, Tenn., who has been active in the beef industry for more than 30 years. Houston and her husband, Mark, own and operate East Tennessee Livestock Center in Sweetwater, which has a history of embracing change to better serve their customers. In addition to regular weekly cattle sales, they hold video, graded feeder calf and Holstein steer sales. Houston served in 2017 as NCBA vice president.
Marty Smith, a rancher and attorney from Wacahoota, Fla., was elected vice president. Smith previously served as the organization’s treasurer.
Elected chair of the NCBA Policy Division was Jerry Bohn (Kansas), while Don Schiefelbein (Minnesota) was elected vice chairman. Dawn Caldwell (Nebraska) was elected chair of the NCBA Federation Division, and Laurie Munns (Utah) was elected vice chair.
Caldwell will serve as vice-chair of the Beef Promotion Operating Committee. Other Federation representatives of the National Beef Checkoff decision-making body include Katie Brenny (Minnesota), Clay Burtrum (Oklahoma), Gary Deering (South Dakota), Bradley Hastings (Texas), Kristin Larson (Montana), Scott McGregor (Iowa), Clark Price (North Dakota) and Buck Wehrbein (Nebraska). Ten representatives from the Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion and Research Board also serve on the Committee.
For photos from the Convention and more information, go to www.ncba.org.