Jeremy Leister of Fairmont, Okla., represented the Angus breed at the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association’s (NCBA) 2024 Young Cattlemen’s Conference (YCC), May 30-June 6. 

Each year, a young Angus breeder is chosen and sponsored by the Angus Foundation to attend the conference. Leister represented The Business Breed as one of 67 individuals in the 2024 YCC class. 

The group of young cattlemen traveled through Colorado, Iowa, Nebraska, Ohio and Washington D.C. for the span of eight days. During their travels, the class was able to experience the vitality of beef production in different aspects of the country, visiting the NCBA, Denver, Colo.; Five Rivers Feeders, Kersey, Colo.; Greeley Hat Works, Greeley, Colo.; Certified Angus Beef, Wooster, Ohio; Giant Eagle and Meijer Grocery Stores, Ohio; Tyson Foods, Sioux City, Iowa; and Empirical Foods, South Sioux City, Neb.

The class ended the trip on Capitol Hill to discuss issues centered around cattle and beef production industries in America. Leister shared this experience with representatives from several different states ranging from Montana, California, Washington D.C. and Hawaii.

“It’s a great honor to be chosen,” Leister says. “It’s humbling to get to see all the different facets of the beef business and all the people that you get to meet over that eight-day period.”

YCC is an opportunity for cattlemen of different backgrounds to share experiences and dive deeper into niche aspects of the industry.

Leister shares he was impressed by the amount of beef advocates who were willing to dedicate their time to learning about different sections of the beef business.

“It motivates me and inspires me for what the future is for everybody in the industry,” he says.

Leister is a graduate of Oklahoma State University with a degree in animal science. He carried his passion for the Angus breed through his involvement as director at large for Oklahoma Angus Association and being a part of the National Beef Institute Class of 2017. 

He serves on the Oklahoma State University Animal Science Alumni Board and is a member of both Payne County Cattlemen’s Association and Farm Bureau. Through his leadership roles, Leister enjoys offering his expertise to the younger generation of cattlemen.

Leister described his past experiences as a “labor of love” leading him to a variety of opportunities within the industry today.

“You always want to try and engage in everything that you can,” Leister says. “You have to be willing to devote the time and engage in certain activities.”

Leister says his experience with the YCC class puts those words into action. He exhibits the passion and can do attitude that pushes many Angus breeders towards progress. It’s one of the many reasons he was chosen as the breed’s representative at the conference.

“Jeremy is a prime candidate of a young cattlemen who contributes to the Angus breed locally and nationally. We were honored to have him represent the Angus Foundation,” says Jaclyn Boester, Angus Foundation executive director. “With the help of generous donors, we are able to support programs like YCC that provide opportunity for cattlemen to expand their industry knowledge and leadership.”

Selection is based on applicants’ leadership background and their engagement with the American Angus Association and the beef industry. The selected attendee’s expenses are fully covered by the Angus Fund, which generously supports the Angus Foundation’s efforts in promoting Angus education, youth and research.