July 24, 2018

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

For more information contact:

Clint Mefford, director of communications

(816) 383-5143

CMefford@angus.org,

 

PHOTO: Available upon request via prphotos@angus.org

              

New National Junior Angus Board Selected

Angus juniors elect their new officers and board of directors in Madison, Wisconsin.

 

National Junior Angus Association (NJAA) members respect those who sit on the National Junior Angus Board (NJAB) wearing the green jackets. This year’s team was announced in Madison, Wisconsin, during the National Junior Angus Show (NJAS), and these new green jackets are excited to step into their new roles, serving the junior members of the NJAA.

The National Junior Angus Board members serve two-year terms, the first year on the board of directors and the second as officers in the Association. During this two-year period, they travel and present, promoting the Angus breed and help juniors be successful in the Business Breed.

Chairman Sydnee Gerken, assisted by vice-chair Madison Sundsbak, leads the new National Junior Board Officers. The rest of this officer team is assembled with communications director: Haley DeHaan; Angus Foundation director: Dawson Dal Porto; leadership director: Brody Fitzgerald; and membership director: Jera Pipkin. All of these green coats are excited to step into their officer roles, having served their first year on the board of directors, and engage further with the junior members throughout the year.

“We are excited with the new junior officers and board,” said Jaclyn Upperman, American Angus Association director of events and education. “The green jackets are a time-honored tradition, and this board is set up to do a really great job in the next year.”

The new six and NJAA Board of Directors (NJAB) are eager to begin and honored to have been voted in by their peers and other juniors. The new board joining the officers are: Keegan Cassady, Bloomington, Illinois; Tyler Bush, Britton, South Dakota; Caroline Cowles, Rockfield, Kentucky; Dylan Denny, Lubbock, Texas; Grady Dickerson, Paradise, Kansas; and Baxter Knapp, Bloomfield, Iowa.

Get to Know the NEW NJAB

Tyler Bush is a sixth-generation Angus breeder and said a major aspect of the NJAA that has influenced him has been the mentorship program. Currently attending Hutchinson Community College majoring in agribusiness and minoring in animal science, and his goal is to judge collegiately before returning to his family’s Angus operation.

Keegan Cassady is not from a farm background; yet, when her dad purchased her first Angus heifer, she was hooked on the breed and the Association. She is currently a junior at Oklahoma State University majoring in animal science, emphasis in business, pre-law option, planning to pursue a career in agricultural policy.

Caroline Cowles had her first American Angus Association® membership at the age of five and is looking forward to engaging more with the conferences offered through the NJAA. She currently attends Oklahoma State University majoring in animal science with a focus on biotechnology and hopes to enter a career in medical or pharmaceuticals.

Dylan Denny grew up with strong Angus influences despite being raised in the suburbs of Texas and currently has his own herd of cattle totaling 65 head. He will be a freshman at Oklahoma State University majoring in agricultural business with a minor in animal science.

Grady Dickerson has always looked up to the green jackets and can’t believe he is now going to be wearing one. He says the strength of this Angus breed is the leaders and producers who strive to continuously improve. He is currently attending Kansas State University majoring in food science with the goal of working in food distribution.

Baxter Knapp is a second-generation Angus breeder and said his goal is to bring more connections at the state level through the mentorship program, especially. Currently a sophomore at Illinois Central College majoring in animal science/agricultural business, he will be transferring to a four-year university to pursue a career in the agriculture industry with emphasis on the Angus breed.

While these new six join the green coat team, the old six officers step down from their roles with bittersweet emotions, their final activities being the Leaders Engaged in Angus Development (LEAD) Conference August 2-5, in Billings, Montana. Those who are completing their time with the NJAB are: Madison Butler, Vincennes, Indiana; Will Pohlman, Prairie Grove, Arkansas; Catie Hope, Berryville, Virginia; Corbin Cowles, Rockfield, Kentucky; Jordyn Wagner, Billings, Montana; and Michaela Clowser, Milford, Nebraska.

The juniors of the NJAA are grateful for all the time, hard-work and dedication of these past six green coats and are eager to see the new six step up to the exciting two years they are about to enter into.

Visit www.angus.org for complete show results and news from the event. Also, tune in to a special NJAS episode of The Angus Report on the Angus TV Youtube channel.

 

Written by Chloé Fowler, Angus Communications

 

ANGUS MEANS BUSINESS. The American Angus Association® is the nation’s largest beef breed organization, serving more than 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.

 

 

 

###