August 05, 2022

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

For more information, contact:

Holly Martin, director of communications

816-383-5143

hmartin@angus.org

To download photo, click here.

Cutline: 100 National Junior Angus Association members toured Branch View Angus on July 30 in Hustonville, Kentucky during the Leaders Engaged in Angus Development conference.

LEAD 2022 – Angus takes the Triple Crown 

Angus juniors attend LEAD conference in Lexington, Kentucky.

National Junior Angus Association (NJAA) members gathered from all corners of the country for the Leaders Engaged in Angus Development (LEAD) conference July 28 – 31 in Lexington, Kentucky. Juniors experienced a weekend full of farm tours and leadership workshops while making lifelong connections within and beyond the Angus community.

The LEAD conference is designed to expose NJAA members to different parts of the industry by visiting new regions of the country every year. This year, juniors learned about the agriculture industry in Kentucky and related career opportunities. Additionally, juniors grew their leadership skills through workshops and engaged in networking activities.

The weekend kicked off with break out sessions led by the National Junior Angus Board that challenged attendees to be bold leaders through interactive games and workshops. Juniors also visited Boyd Beef Cattle and Branch View Angus where members learned about different cattle operations, freeze branding and how to use electronic identification in cattle. James Coffey, of Branch View Angus, emphasized the advantage juniors have by being raised in the cattle industry.

“Whether you stay in the industry or you go into something different, you will always have an agriculture background that will serve you the rest of your life,” Coffey said. “I encourage every NJAA member to leverage that agriculture upbringing to future success.”  

Attendees were also introduced to a variety of industries in the state covering careers within and beyond the cattle sector. The group visited the Keeneland racetrack, Blue Grass Stockyards, Hallway Feeds and Tarter Industries. Tours provided valuable learning opportunities that showed juniors different facets of the agriculture industry.  

The LEAD conference wrapped up with speaker A’ric Jackson who spoke about different leadership styles and the importance of using individual strengths to make an impact. As attendees reflected on the eventful week, former NJAB Chairman Alex Cozzitorto reminded the group of the value of attending the LEAD conference.

“By attending the LEAD conference, you are investing in learning the leadership skills that are going to put you ahead in life and help you become future industry leaders,” Cozzitorto said.

The LEAD conference provides priceless educational and leadership experiences to young cattlemen and women thanks to the support of the Angus Foundation and generous Angus donors.

– Written by Sierra Walter, Angus Communications Intern

About the NJAA

The NJAA promotes the involvement of young people in raising Angus cattle while also providing leadership and self-development opportunities for more than 5,000 active members nationwide.

About the Angus Foundation

Established as a 501(c)(3) organization in 1980, the Angus Foundation remains focused on its mission to support Angus education, youth, and research. The organization as distributed more than $3.9 million in youth scholarships since 1998 and has also invested more than $1.3 million in beef cattle research in the past decade.

For more information, contact the Angus Foundation at 816-383-5100.

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 more than 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.