FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

Contact: Jackie Buehner, 303-850-3442, j.buehner@beef.org

American National CattleWomen Elect Lana Slaten President

SAN ANTONIO (Jan. 29, 2010) — Lana Slaten, Culman, Ala., has been elected 59th president of the American National CattleWomen, Inc. (ANCW) during the organization's 2010 Annual Meeting Jan. 26-28 in San Antonio, Texas. The American National CattleWomen, Inc. is a voice for women who support and promote the beef industry.

Slaten has chosen the theme “Bridging the Gap” as she represents CattleWomen involved in the beef industry across the nation. “I believe the American National CattleWomen are a vital link in “bridging the gap” to the consumer with science-based information about our product, beef, and understanding our way of life on the farms and ranches in America,” Slaten said. “We play a significant role in “putting a face” on the producer and the reality that we are also consumers of the food we produce.”

According to Slaten, “the National Beef Ambassador Program (NBAP) and the National Beef Cook-Off (NBCO) are two of the outstanding programs that ANCW manages that help “bridge the gap.” These checkoff-funded/volunteer-supported programs continue to exceed goals and expectations, reaching millions of consumers with both face-to-face and media impressions. This year we will continue to train and encourage CattleWomen to use social networking and electronic media to share beef messages.”

Slaten has served CattleWomen and the beef industry on the local, state and national level. She has served as Alabama CattleWomen president and in numerous capacities at the state and local level. She became involved on the national level as the ANCW Region II Director when Alabama hosted the region meeting in 1996.

Lana and husband Terry reside in Cullman, Ala., which, Lana is proud to say, is the number-one cattle and agricultural county in Alabama. She has been involved in the cattle industry all of her adult life, having married a large-animal veterinarian and operating a small family cow-calf operation. She is a registered nurse in the G.I. lab at Cullman Regional Medical Center. They have a son, Gus, 15, who is active in the Cullman High School Band and loves working on the farm with his Dad.

ANCW’s 2009 Executive Committee members, in addition to Lana Slaten, are: President Elect Jill Ginn, Granbury, Texas; Recording Secretary Evelyn Brown, Cullman, Ala; Past President Kristy Lage, Neb.; Region I Director Bonnie Bargstedt, N.Y.; Region II Director Marcia Callaway, Ga.; Region III Director Bev Rowe, Iowa: Region IV Director D’dee Haynes, Okla.; Region V Director Peggy Biaggi, Ore.; Region VI Director Barbara Jackson, Ariz.; Region VII Director Janice Rustad, N.D.; Parliamentarian, Susie Magnuson, Colo.; and Karen Harrison, Ala, Historian.

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Since 1952, the American National CattleWomen, Inc., a non-profit volunteer organization, has used its grassroots volunteer energy to educate consumers about beef and the beef industry. For more information, see Web site ancw.org or request information at ancw@beef.org.