June 20, 2013
FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE
For
more information contact:
Chase
Adams, NCBA director of communications, at 202-879-9117
or cadams@beef.org
PHOTOS:
http://www.angus.org/graphics/photo/CortneyCates.jpg
http://www.angus.org/graphics/photo/KurtKangas.jpg
Angus Represented at Elite Beef Industry Conference
Kurt
Kangas, regional manager for the American Angus Association®, and Cortney
Hill-Dukehart Cates, current American Angus Auxiliary President, were among more
than 50 young cattlemen and women selected to participate in the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association
(NCBA) 34th Young Cattlemen’s Conference (YCC). Kangas was sponsored by the
American Angus Association, and the Angus Foundation sponsored Cates. The YCC
program is a comprehensive, nationwide tour of beef industry sectors, created
to enhance leadership skills in your beef industry professionals.
“YCC is a prestigious and competitive
program designed to foster the future leadership of our industry,” said Forrest
Roberts, NCBA chief executive officer. “The participants selected to attend YCC
were chosen because of their exceptional contributions to the beef industry and
their potential to be a strong voice in our future development.”
Responsible for the states of Arizona,
California, Nevada and Utah, Kangas travels extensively in the West to help
keep producers and consumers informed about the Angus breed and the programs
the Association offers; as well as promoting beef in general. Prior to joining
the American Angus Association, he spent 12 years at Basin Angus Ranch in
Hobson, Mont. Kangas graduated from Montana State University with a Bachelor’s
of Science in Range Science.
Cates is a graduate of Towson University
in Maryland with a degree in secondary education. She taught social studies at Glenelg High School for three years before marrying Tyler
Cates and moving to Modoc, Ind. A former Miss American Angus, Cates and her
husband serve as junior advisors for the Indiana Junior Angus Association. She
works with her husband at Cates Farms, one of the most dominate Shorthorn herds
in the country. They are in the process of expanding their Angus herd which
produced the 2002 Bred-and-Owned Reserve Champion at the National Junior Angus
Show.
The eight day tour began at NCBA headquarters in Denver, Colo.,
where participants were given an organizational overview of NCBA and the Beef Checkoff Program. While in Denver, the group also heard
from representatives of Cattle Fax and the U.S. Meat Export Federation. They
toured a Safeway retail store and learned about Rancher’s Reserve brand beef
marketing efforts. The group spent a day in Greeley, Colo.,
visiting JBS Five Rivers feed yards and processing facilities.
“It
is really important for participants to see each sector of the beef industry –
from farm to fork,” said Kangas. “Traveling from a cow/calf ranch to a feedlot
and processing plant really drives home the point that our industry is composed
of many sectors which are all committed to produce a healthy end product.”
In Chicago, the group met with the senior management of the
Chicago Mercantile Exchange at the Chicago Board of Trade. They had the chance
to watch the activity on the trading floor and witness futures trading
firsthand. Participants also visited Otto & Sons Industries, a family owned
company providing quality products and custom solutions for the food industry
since 1909. This tour offered a view of how boxed beef is turned into custom
order portions for both major restaurant chains and some of the nation’s top
steakhouses.
The group then traveled to Washington, D.C., where participants
received an issues briefing from NCBA’s government affairs staff about policy
issues currently facing the cattle industry. The group then traveled to Aldie, Va., for a tour and barbeque at Whitestone Farms,
one of the nation’s elite purebred Angus operations.
The next day, these future leaders were given the opportunity to
visit one-on-one with members of their state’s congressional delegation,
expressing their viewpoints regarding the beef industry and their cattle
operations. During their congressional visits, participants focused on issues
including the 2013 Farm Bill, federal lands ranching and overreaching
regulations proposed by the Environmental Protection Agency. They finished the
day with a reception hosted by John Deere at the company’s Washington office.
For more information on the YCC program or to nominate someone for
next year’s tour, contact your state cattlemen’s association or Marvin Kokes at 303-850-3339 or mkokes@beef.org.
###
The
National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA) has represented
— Release adapted from
National Cattlemen’s Beef Association
