April 21, 2016
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For more information contact:
Shelby Mettlen, assistant editor, at 816-383-5100 or smettlen@angus.media; or
Anne Lampe, Women Connected conference chair, at 620-874-4273 or alampe@wbsnet.org.
PHOTOS: Available on request via prphotos@angus.org.
Women Connected Hosted at CAB
Headquarters
The American
Angus Auxiliary’s biennial conference traveled to Wooster, Ohio, April 2-4.
More than 35 women from 17 states gathered at the Certified Angus Beef® (CAB®) brand’s Education and Culinary Center April 2-4 in Wooster, Ohio, to network, learn and celebrate their love for the Angus breed during the American Angus Auxiliary’s third biennial Women Connected conference.
“The main goal of Women Connected is to provide an opportunity for participants to network with other Angus women with a common bond,” said Women Connected Chair Anne Lampe, Scott City, Kan. “In bringing these women together, we hope to educate them, help them engage with one another and empower them to meet their goals.”
To kick off the conference, Lampe welcomed attendees to Wooster, Ohio, and they heard comments from American Angus Auxiliary President Shally Rogen, Certified Angus Beef LLC (CAB) Marketing Director Deanna Walenciak, American Angus Association CEO Allen Moczygemba and Angus Foundation President Milford Jenkins. The evening closed with singing, dancing and entertainment provided by cattlewoman and Auxiliary member Cara Ayers of Sweet Home, Ore.
The “Brand Champion Chopped Competition” was the main event on April 3, where participants were assigned teams and given a mystery basket of ingredients — including CAB® as the main course. Six teams of women took on the Education and Culinary Center’s state of the art kitchen, and participants voted for their favorite meal.
Attendees also had the opportunity to explore and shop at the Pine Tree Barn and visit Troutman Vineyards, located just outside Wooster.
On the final day of the conference, CAB President John Stika and Vice President of Marketing Tracey Erickson spoke about the CAB brand and the many moving parts associated with the industry’s largest branded beef program. The women also toured CAB headquarters, led by CAB Meeting Planner Danielle Foster, and took part in sessions with Amanda Barstow, director of legal affairs, and Margaret Coleman, director of digital marketing.
The conference’s youngest attendee, 24-year-old Bailey Bannister of Kent, N.Y., said she was excited to attend the conference to become more involved in the Angus breed.
“I think this opportunity thrust me into meeting more people,” she said. “As a woman, it’s easier to connect with women first, and then work my way into more industry activities. I love any conference that will help further myself and my knowledge of the industry, and this has been a great place to start.”
The Women Connected conference is funded by the Angus Foundation, and attendees are responsible only for their travel to and from the conference location. Women interested in attending must fill out an application to participate. The conference was first hosted in 2012 at the American Angus Association headquarters in Saint Joseph, Mo.
The next Women Connected conference will be in 2018 in a location to be determined.
About the American Angus Auxiliary
The American Angus Auxiliary consists of individuals interested in the welfare of the Angus breed. Its members work to provide educational activities for junior Angus members, such as scholarship programs, awards and competitions. For more information about the Auxiliary, visit www.angusauxiliary.com.
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.
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