March 23, 2015
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For more information contact:
Jena McRell, digital editor, at 816-383-5100 or jmcrell@angusjournal.com; or
Jaclyn Upperman, director of events and education, at 816-383-5100 or jupperman@angus.org
ONLINE: Download
an Angus Ambassador application.
Angus Seeks Applicants for Junior Breed
Ambassador
Submit an application
by June 1 to be considered for the NJAA ambassador position.
The National Junior Angus Association (NJAA) is now accepting applications for the Angus Ambassador competition. An elite representative for the Angus breed, the ambassador serves a one-year term as spokesperson for the NJAA’s nearly 6,000 members. Applications must be postmarked by June 1.
“The Angus Ambassador position is a unique opportunity for one of our junior members to build upon their passion for beef cattle by interacting with other Angus producers, industry influencers and others throughout a number of events during the year,” says Jaclyn Upperman, American Angus Association®’s director of events and education.
Emma Jumper, Paragould, Ark., is currently serving as the 2014-2015 Angus Ambassador. A former National Beef Ambassador, Jumper’s involvement in the beef business runs deep. She and her family operate Rock Creek Angus Ranch in northeast Arkansas, where Jumper says she experienced some of her most important life lessons.
Jumper is a junior at Mississippi State University double majoring in business administration and foreign language.
“Traveling around my state talking about agriculture and about the Angus industry especially in the Delta, where I live, is an experience that I greatly value,” Jumper said. “So many people know what it’s like to see cotton and corn and rice being raised, but they are very unsure what it’s like to be a rancher. And so, taking that to the next level and being able to do that nationally is very exciting.”
While serving in the position, the Ambassador will travel to the Angus Means Business National Convention & Trade Show in Overland Park, Kan.; a Certified Angus Beef® Building Blocks Seminar in Wooster, Ohio; the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Cattle Industry Annual Convention in San Diego, Calif.; the Beef Improvement Federation Annual Research Symposium and Convention; and the Guiding Outstanding Angus Leaders Conference in Canada.
Additonal travel options vary depending on the selected ambassador’s location, schedule and availability.
To be eligible for the Angus Ambassador competition, applicants must be Association members of good standing, between the ages 17-20 as of Jan. 1, who own purebred cattle. They must submit a cover letter, résumé and two essay responses, which can be found online.
All applications must be postmarked by June 1 and sent to the Association’s Events and Education Department, 3201 Frederick Ave., Saint Joseph, MO 64506.
Once the applications are reviewed, five finalists will be invited to the Association headquarters on July 23 to participate in the final round of competition, which includes an interview and formal presentation with a panel of judges. The new Angus Ambassador will be chosen at the conclusion of the day.
For more information, please visit the NJAA website.
About the National Junior Angus Association
The NJAA promotes the involvement of young people in raising Angus cattle, while also providing leadership and self-development opportunities for more than 6,000 active members nationwide.
ANGUS MEANS BUSINESS. The American Angus Association is the nation’s largest beef breed organization, serving nearly 25,000 members across the United States, Canada and several other countries. It’s home to an extensive breed registry that grows by nearly 300,000 animals each year. The Association also provides programs and services to farmers, ranchers and others who rely on Angus to produce quality genetics for the beef industry and quality beef for consumers.
For more information about Angus cattle and the American Angus Association, visit www.ANGUS.org.
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