New Leadership elected to the American Angus Association Board of Directors

November 7, 2022

The 139th Annual Convention of Delegates assembled November 7, 2022, in Salt Lake City, Utah. Five directors were elected to the board of directors, as well as a president/chairman and a vice president/vice chairman of the board. Jonathan Perry will serve as treasurer for the 2022-2023 term.

Elected officers are Chuck Grove, Forest, Virginia, president and chairman of the board and Barry Pollard, Enid, Oklahoma, vice president and vice chairman of the board. 

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Grove said the Angus breed is in a prime spot to lead industry advancement. "With the vast influence Angus has on the beef industry, the breed is looked to as leaders ready to navigate both opportunities and potential obstacles," Grove said. "The future of the industry and this great breed looks bright in the coming years, and while I have been devoted to the breed for a lifetime, the next year will be the most rewarding yet."

Elected to their first terms on the board of directors are Rob Adams, Union Springs, Alabama; Art Butler, Bliss, Idaho; Alan Mead, Barnett, Missouri; Henry Smith, Russell Springs, Kentucky; and Roger Wann, Poteau, Oklahoma.

Directors can serve up to two three-year terms on the board and, if elected, serve additional one-year terms in office as president/chairman and/or vice president/vice chairman.

Adams has been a lifelong resident of Union Springs where his grandfather established their current farm in 1936. For the last 40 years the family has raised registered Angus cattle, calving about 225 females, and timber on the 925-acre farm. They have an annual bull sale and host the Maternal Gems Female Sale. Adams co-owns a financial firm, Legacy Advisors, Inc., where he works with small businesses and individuals in financial planning and investment management. A leader in his community, Adams is also a board member on the Alabama Angus Association, Alabama Beef Cattle Improvement Association (BCIA) and BCIA Foundation. Adams hopes to use his experience to help give back to the Association’s diverse membership as a director

Butler is the third generation raising registered Angus at the103-year-old Spring Cove Ranch. He and his family manage a 350-headherd and host an annual production sale. The family sells feeder cattle and farms 500 acres. Technology and production tools to enhance genetics and management are used, incorporating ultrasound scans for carcass traits and parent verifying and genomically testing every calf. Butler has been committed to developing markets for Angus feeder calves through AngusLinkSM. He has served on boards of the Idaho Angus Association, Idaho Cattle Association and the family was awarded the 2019 Certified Angus Beef (CAB) Seedstock Commitment to Excellence Award and the Century Herd Award from the Association in 2019.

Mead is a third-generation Angus breeder involved in all phases of the cattle business. He currently has three annual production sales, marketing close to 700 bulls per year. After completing becoming a board-certified anesthesiologist practitioner, Mead returned home to serve his community while harboring a new vision for Mead Farms. The farm has grown to more than 7,000acres and close to 1,500 registered Angus cows in addition to several other breeds. Mead served on the Missouri Angus Association Board of Directors, Morgan County Cattlemen’s Association, Missouri Cattlemen’s Association, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. Mead has a strong track record of gathering information and making informed decisions, as well as approaching problems with an open mind for successful outcomes.

Smith is a fourth-generation Angus breeder who grew up on a diversified family farm consisting of registered Angus, burley tobacco, corn, soybeans and wheat. For 28 years, he has successfully operated Smithland Angus Farm recently hosting its 26th annual bull and female sale. Smith currently owns and manages 225 registered Angus cows and a small commercial herd. He has served on boards of the Natural Resources Conservation Service, County Agricultural Improvement Program, Russell County Cattlemen’s Association, Kentucky Angus Association, NJAA Executive Committee, Kentucky Farm Bureau, First Bancorp, Inc. and First National Bank. Smith believes in the power of the Angus cow to continue to be the foundation of the beef industry and is committed to the advancement of the breed.

Wann was raised on a multigenerational commercial cow-calf ranch. After the purchase of commercial Angus cows and an Angus bull from Belle Point Ranch, the benefits of Angus genetics became clear. After graduating from Oklahoma State University, he earned a master’s in physiology of reproduction from Texas A&M and began a career with ABS Global, where he assisted cattle producers in learning the value of efficient reproductive management programs. Wann Ranch annually hosts a production sale and markets 120 to 140 bulls. He served on the board for Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Association and Oklahoma Angus Association and has helped develop their Angus feeder-calf sale. Wann has a blue-collar, grassroots viewpoint concerning all issues, with the goal of keeping the Angus breed at the forefront of the industry.

To learn more about the American Angus Association Board of Directors or how the delegate process works visit www.angus.org/assoc/board

Source: Angus Commuications