The International Brangus Breeders Association’s (IBBA) mission is to empower its members to advance the quality, reliability and value of Brangus and Brangus-influenced cattle; to provide innovative programs and services which enhance the economic well-being of members and commercial customers. In order for the association to continue striving toward the advancement of these objectives, it is of utmost importance to maintain leadership with IBBA’s best interest at heart. IBBA counts on its members to appoint leaders for involvement within the association and its official business.

There are four positions to be filled on IBBA’s Board of Directors. Please review the following biographies for candidates from areas four, six, seven and eight. Election ballots will be mailed to IBBA members on Nov. 10. All ballots musted be returned to the accounting firm, not IBBA’s office. Ballots returned to IBBA’s office will not be counted. Ballots must be postmarked by Dec. 31 to Akin, Doherty, Klein and Feuge, PC, 8610 N New Braunfels, Ste. 101, San Antonio, TX 78217.

Biographies are included for area four candidates, Darrel Law and Davy Sneed; area six candidate, Greg Romans; area seven candidates, Garry Clem, Pete DeLeeuw, Gina Gill, and Allen Goode; and area eight candidate, Doyle Miller.

 

AREA 4

 

AREA 4 CANDIDATE: DARREL LAW

Darrel Law and his wife, Connie, along with their sons, Brad and Clint, own and operate Four L Farms located in Lafayette, Tennessee. The farm operation in North Central Tennessee and South Central Kentucky consists of commercial and registered Brangus and Ultrablack cattle.

Darrel’s career as an agricultural teacher and school director has been instrumental in establishing a good working relationship with people and organization committees.

In 1982, Darrel began his Brangus business with a plan to add vigor, disease resistance, and growth, along with all advantages for his existing Angus herd for the environments of Tennessee and Kentucky.

Today, Darrel and his sons run approximately 300 commercial and registered cows and continue to produce replacement females and high-quality steers.

Law is a former IBBA board member and truly appreciates the opportunity to once again represent the membership in his area.

 

AREA 4 CANDIDATE: DAVY SNEED

David “Davy” Sneed is a fifth-generation cattle producer raising registered and commercial Brangus on his family’s Century Farm in McMinnville, Tennessee, with his wife, Wendy, and sixteen-month-old daughter, Riley Elizabeth. He began in the Brangus business in the mid ‘90s when he became involved with the Mid-South Junior Brangus Association. Growing up, Davy was active on both the Mid-South Junior Brangus Board of Directors and the International Junior Brangus Breeders Association Board of Directors, holding officer positions in both. He has continued his love of the show ring by working with several 4-H and FFA youth in fitting and showmanship clinics over the years, as well as assisting youth with their projects.

Following high school, Davy worked for Higgins Livestock in Woodbury, Tennessee, for four years. Higgins procures approximately 7,000 to 8,000 head of stocker cattle per year, and Davy assisted with all management aspects. Sneed then took a position with the Rutherford Farmer’s Cooperative as animal health and livestock equipment sales representative, where he stayed for the next 11 years. Davy currently works as a sales representative for Performance Feeds and Animal Health, based out of Red Boiling Springs, Tennessee, and covers 11 counties in Tennessee and most of Northern Alabama.

Davy currently serves on the International Brangus Breeders Association Board of Directors, Southeast Brangus Breeder Association’s Board of Directors, Cannon County Farm Bureau Board of Directors, serves as advisor to the Cannon County Young Farmers and Ranchers, and serves on the Cannon County Cattlemen’s Association Board of Directors. In past years, he has, also, served as the Cannon County Cattlemen’s Association president, and sat on the Southeastern Brangus Breeders Association Junior Show Committee.

Davy’s wife, Wendy, is an eighth-generation farmer raised on a dairy operation in Northwest Tennessee before accepting a position with the Tennessee Agricultural Enhancement Program in 2007. She is currently agribusiness development consultant and livestock marketing specialist for the Tennessee Department of Agriculture and serves on several state cattle organizations. As Davy manages the production side of the operation, Wendy oversees the marketing of the cattle off-farm through various methods. They have a true understanding of the big picture in not only the beef industry, but, also, all of agriculture industry.

“It has truly been a pleasure serving on the IBBA Board the past three years. There have been issues to work through as any board term, and I believe the board did so with the best of our breed in mind. When I joined the board, the U.S. had the lowest cow numbers in over 50 years, and to remain the power protein we needed producers in areas where it is possible to build back to and to assist those younger producers trying to get into the cattle business,” Davy said. “In Tennessee alone, we had lost 140,000 plus mama cows, and with beef as the state’s No. 1 agricultural receipts, we needed to work with producers in building their herds. As we, in the Brangus breed, realize we have the best maternal offering out there, how better to help grow our commercial numbers than to assist commercial breeders looking to expand by educating them on the benefits of Brangus-crossed cows in their herd. Currently, two of our universities are adding Brangus genetics into their herds. We can’t wait to see even more valuable research being done to help us in our education of beef producers about the value of Brangus.”

 

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AREA 6

 

AREA 6 CANDIDATE: GREG ROMANS

Greg Romans and his wife, Sheryl, own and operate Romans Brangus, in Vale, Oregon. Romans raises alfalfa, wheat and corn, and he runs about 80 head of registered Brangus and Ultrablack cattle on the remaining pasture.

Romans started his registered Brangus herd in 1986 with a registered heifer he bought from Turner Brangus Ranch, 2007 Pioneer of the Year recipient. This heifer started his FFA project. Romans received his FFA State Farmer degree in 1990 and graduated from Vale Union High School.

Romans went on to college to study animal science and beef production. Romans graduated college with an associate degree in arts and sciences. Romans completed a work study program with Thomas Angus Ranch in Baker, Oregon, and, also, with Ben Houston at Aristocrat Angus in Platteville, Colorado. At the time, Houston was the president of the National Western Denver Stock Show.

Romans purchased his farm, which consists of 180 acres of irrigated ground, in 1993. The cattle are, also, run on a large section of crested wheat grass in the spring and fall.

In 1994, Romans purchased 43 head of Brangus cattle from Ben Houston. At the time Houston was breeding the cattle as 3/16 Brahma (Ultrablacks). Houston was trying to breed the sheath off of the bulls due to the harsh winters in the West. This was requested by his buyers at the time. This was before anyone in the Brangus breed was even talking about breeding Ultrablack cattle. The downfall to this at the time, was Romans was just starting and wanted to maintain the expected progeny differences on the cattle. So he continued to breed the cattle as straight Brangus to build a reputation herd. Houston taught Romans many valuable lessons about Brangus cattle.

Romans, also, purchased cattle from Lettunich and Son’s dispersal in 2000. He markets 20-25 Brangus and Ultrablack Bulls every year in the West. He has served as a board member of the West Coast Brangus Breeders Association. Romans believes in, and has a passion for, Brangus cattle. He, also, believes in supporting our youth. Romans pledges to have an open ear to all of the Brangus breeders and members. Romans, also, pledges to always do his best to represent the membership. He thanks the membership for this opportunity.

 

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AREA 7

 

AREA 7 CANDIDATE: GARRY CLEM

Life for Garry Clem, in agriculture, began at a very early age. Being reared in a farming family, the Clems raised their own cattle, hogs, chickens and crops. Having parents who went through the Great Depression, the family learned how to depend on and raise what they needed to live; they adapted to the environment. This made being in FFA a continuation of his life’s learning to raise livestock, keep records, and promote his animals. Being president of his FFA chapter gave Garry leadership skills that have followed him throughout life. Even though Clem was an athlete, his parents made sure he and his brothers took care of their animals before and after school. That included milking, and that was not child abuse – just life for a country boy.

Fast forward to college. Clem received his masters degree in criminology and was hired as assistant personal director for the Texas Department of Corrections. Garry and his wife, Phyllis, dated for several years and married after they were fully employed. Garry and Phyllis celebrated their 48th anniversary this past August. As a wedding gift, Clem’s parents gave the couple a Hereford cow and Phyllis’s parents gave them a commercial Brangus cow. Garry was amazed at how productive that Brangus cow was; therefore, he researched the Brangus breed. Even though it was in its early stages, Clem found lots of positive things about the breed. The newlyweds soon purchased an animal from Matt Syler and then Billy Harry and, “the rest is history as they say,” says Clem. Harry got them into embryo work some 40 years ago, and Robert Vineyard told Garry that quality was the only way to survive in a registered breed. Keeping their herd small allowed them to concentrate on quality only. This led the Clems to own a bull by the name of Timber Too. Handled by Garry Cross and Carl Finke, he became the winningest show bull at that time. Again, Garry and Phyllis were moving forward.

Clem says the Brangus business has allowed them to meet some of the best people they could have ever known. Most are still with them, but some are now working with the Lord. Clem says he has been blessed to own several successful companies and serve as president or CEO. He has, also, served on many cattle committees, church committees, and even served as president of the Texas Brangus Breeders Association several times.

Garry says his excitement with the Brangus animal over the past 45 years or more continues to grow. He, also, says the testing of Brangus cattle for tenderness and flavor by the International Brangus Breeders Association, The Seminole Tribe, and the University of Florida is outstanding. “As a breed, we have to prove to the consumer our end product is the best,” Clem says. “This will take commitment from more than a few breeders. All breeders large and small need to get excited about this breed and get involved.”

 

AREA 7 CANDIDATE: PETE DeLEEUW

Pete DeLeeuw and his family operate Pennridge Ranch in Paige, Texas, about an hour east of Austin. Pete bought his first 12 Brangus heifers in 1978 after he purchased a small ranch in Brenham, Texas. For many years he had a small registered operation with about 40 Brangus females. While he used artificial insemination (AI) and embryo transfer (ET), he was constrained in time and finances as he had four children in college and business commitments that required substantial travel. In 2011, the family purchased the current ranch in Paige, and as he became semi-retired he could devote significant time and effort to his Brangus cattle. His herd is now more than 150 registered cows, and all females are either artificially inseminated or used as recips, along with commercial females, for the ET program. He has made significant genetic progress with the herd, and he is committed to doing what it takes to be one of the recognized top breeders in Brangus.

His business background has been in the chemical industry with senior executive positions with Shell and CEO of another chemical company. He has been on large- and medium-sized corporate boards. He, also, was the founder and chairman of Lion Chemical Partners, a private equity firm focused on chemicals.

He has, also, been active in his community, and he was on the Tomball School Board for nine years. In the International Brangus Breeders Association (IBBA), he has served on the Breed Improvement Committee for several years.

His rationale for being a member of the IBBA Board is:

  1. He has experience in being on productive, as well as unproductive, boards, and he would work hard to ensure the IBBA is one of the best in the industry.
  2. He states that he is competitive and wants to aggressively promote the breed; Brangus has about the same number of cattle, with data submitted, in 2016 as it had in the early 90s. Other breeds, such as Angus, have had considerable growth. Given the positive attributes of Brangus cattle, he believes we should be a leading growth breed.
  3. The IBBA is making significant progress in being a progressive breed in the use of genomics, as well as sponsoring important research work in thermotolerance, along with the development of a “stayability” rating for our females. He would plan to continue pushing Brangus to be the clear leader in the American breeds in producing carcass, fertility, and other data that will make it easier for members to make good breeding decisions for their herd improvement.

“If elected, I will put in the time and effort to contribute toward making Brangus seen as the premier breed in all the parts of the U.S. where it can thrive,” DeLeeuw says. “I will work toward making our case data-driven so our advantaged list of attributes is clear to any progressive cattleman.”

 

AREA 7 CANDIDATE: GINA GILL

Gina Gill and her husband, Larry Gill Jr., live in Beckville, Texas, where they run their Brangus cattle operation, G Bar Brangus. Gill has worked in the legal profession for 18 years; 14 of them being with the Law Firm of Phenix & Crump. She was on the steering committee that founded the Beckville ISD Education Foundation, and has served seven years as the foundation’s president. Through that experience, she learned what it takes to organize and maintain a foundation. She, also, serves as chairwoman of the trustees for the Beckville United Methodist Church.

In 2005, the Gills sought to return to the cattle industry, and Brangus was the only option they considered. They started raising commercial Brangus and in 2009, when their son started showing cattle, and they jumped back into the registered side. Their registered herd has grown, and the Gills currently market bulls to commercial and registered cattlemen and market show heifer prospects.

Gina’s passion for the breed quickly grew. She loves breeding a composite animal, and she spends her extra time studying pedigrees. Gill is not afraid to ask tough questions, and she has a great respect for not only the larger and older cattle breeders, but the small and new breeders as well.

There is not a breeder that Gill will not question about their herd bull battery. She knows that learning what bulls bring to the table and what type of cows work with him is an asset that she must have when it comes time to mate cattle. Gill says she considers herself blessed to be mentored by Scotty Henderson on pedigrees and EPDs, which has helped in purchasing some of what she considers to be the leading cow families. She has a hunger for Brangus knowledge and a passion for the breed and its continued success.

The Gills continued showing cattle after their son graduated, and they have been successful in the show ring. In 2016, they were awarded both the International Brangus Breeders Association (IBBA) Show Dam of the Year and the IBBA Show Heifer of the Year. These acknowledgements are a powerful testament to Gina’s time spent studying pedigrees and putting that knowledge to work. Even more importantly to Gill was the announcement of G Bar Brangus as the 2014 IBBA Herdsman of the Year. The prestigious award not only recognizes a Brangus exhibitor’s participation in IBBA shows, but a vote of peers in the barns at the International Brangus Show in Houston, Texas.

“When we were announced as the winner at the 2015 show in Houston, it was an overwhelming feeling of achievement,” Gill remembers. “That award means a lot to me because it showcases the time and effort we put into it, but most importantly it is an honor from our Brangus friends – well, our Brangus family.”

Gill’s passion for the breed goes deeper than the accolades she has accumulated. Gill is a huge supporter of the International Junior Brangus Breeders Association (IJBBA). In 2015, she offered IJBBA’s board of directors a legacy heifer before the heifer was born. IJBBA legacy heifers are offered at auction to raise money for scholarship funds. It was easy for Gill to be confident in the quality of the unborn progeny, as she was a full sister to the 2016 IBBA Show Heifer of the Year. She says she gave the association one of the best that G Bar Brangus and partner, 2H Brangus, had to offer. The female garnered over $40,000 and stands as one of the highest selling legacy females to date. Furthermore, the heifer demonstrated Gill’s strong commitment to the juniors and showcases her belief in the importance of growing our junior membership for the future of the Brangus breed.

While their cattle operation is what could be considered small, Gina and Larry both work full-time jobs while still handling the day-to-day duties of the cattle operation. They laugh about putting hay out at night by spotlight or getting up at 5:00 a.m. so she can artificially inseminate a heifer before they go to work. The love of the hands-on experiences working with cattle keep them going. From planning matings to artificially inseminating to palpating, and even the occasional pulling of calves, Gill is committed to her Brangus cattle.

She understands the sacrifices that small Brangus breeders make to grow their herd, and she feels that the small breeder is just as important and deserves a voice just as loud as that of the large breeders. Gill feels strongly that we need to grow our membership numbers by encouraging, educating and supporting new members. She knows, without a doubt, that the future of the Brangus breed belongs to our juniors, and she realizes that the show ring is what gets juniors involved. However, she feels even more strongly about doing all possible to keep them involved after the show ring. She says we need to be proactive in marketing the Brangus breed both at home and internationally.

Gill brings an unrivaled passion for Brangus, a desire for growth, cow sense, hands-on experience, honesty, fairness, and a strong business sense to the table as an IBBA board candidate. She stands up for what she believes, and is not afraid to get involved. She says she will strive to increase communication between all breeders while encouraging the growth of membership, both junior and senior. Gill would consider it an honor to be the voice of the breeders of area seven, and she says she will work diligently to serve and represent the members.

 

AREA 7 CANDIDATE: ALLEN GOODE

“Working together for the greater good of all.” This is the reason that Allen Goode says he is running for the International Brangus Breeders Association (IBBA) Board of Directors.

Allen has embraced this mantra for 10 years as he served on committees for the IBBA and on the board of directors for the International Red Brangus Breeders Association (IRBBA). For the IBBA, he has served on the Show Committee, International Committee, Breed Improvement Committee, Membership Committee, and Junior Advisory Board.

Additionally, he serves as an IBBA delegate to the Federation of International Brangus Associations and as a board member for the International Brangus Breeders Foundation. Allen serves the IRBBA as vice president, and he has served as chair of the marketing, scholarship and sales committees over the years. He is, also, on the board of directors for the IRBBA Memorial Scholarship Foundation. Through these activities, his commitment has always been to do what will do the most good for the most membership and further the Brangus breed as a whole.

A South Texas native, Allen grew up in San Benito down in the Rio Grande Valley. His passion for the purebred cattle industry was ignited as a junior raising heifers and steers in FFA and 4-H. Allen received a Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo Scholarship to attend Texas A&M University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Animal Science. While at A&M, he was on the 1992 Livestock Judging Team. He returned several years later to complete a Masters of Business Administration. The years that have followed have been dual roads in the corporate and entrepreneurial worlds. His professional career as a consultant and analyst has taken him to both international and domestic assignments. Currently he is employed with Morgan Stanley in Dallas, Texas.

Allen’s passion and interest in the beef industry has never waned. In 2002, a unique gift brought him into the Red Brangus breed. Through this, a partnership developed that became TRIO Cattle & Genetics. The TRIO brand has grown to become synonymous throughout the Brangus world for the highest quality Red Brangus and Brangus seedstock.

TRIO was founded on the principals of partnership and working together for common goals and objectives. To market and develop their genetics and cattle, TRIO is an active participant in Brangus exhibitions across the country. The TRIO herd prefix can be found on numerous National Red Brangus Grand and Reserve Grand Champions, including five Grand Champion Females, two Grand Champion Bulls, two Reserve Grand Females, and five Reserve Grand Bulls. Several of these individuals went on to garner Show Bull, Female, Sire and Dam of the Year honors. TRIO genetics can be found in progressive herds across the U.S., South Africa, South America, Central America, and Australia.

Allen understands the needs of commercial and registered bull buyers. He has worked to build domestic and international markets for TRIO and Red Bud Farm’s bulls. With this, he realizes that Brangus seedstock demand is ultimately driven by the commercial cattleman. Allen has, also, promoted Brangus genetics through his partnerships on bulls with ABS GLOBAL, Select Sires, and Genex Beef.

From the start, Allen has appreciated the global reach of Brangus genetics and worked to promote and bring the Brangus world closer together. He has represented U.S Brangus breeders at four World Brangus Congresses (WBC) in Paraguay, Australia, Mexico and South Africa. He has been, and is, actively involved in the planning and promotion of the 2018 WBC to be hosted by the IBBA.

Allen’s experience in business management, leadership roles, and Brangus marketing experience would all lend to his ability to serve as an effective and progressive-minded IBBA board member.

With ideas to fulfill his objective of “working together for the greater good of all,” Allen will listen to the needs and ideas of all IBBA members and industry constituents. He believes that when an issue arises, a solution should follow that will create more opportunity for all Brangus breeders. He wants to serve Brangus breeders across all of the region and work to build the future of the Brangus breed.

 

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AREA 8

 

AREA 8 CANDIDATE: DOYLE MILLER

Doyle Miller is the managing partner of Miller Brangus, a registered and commercial Brangus breeding program located in Waynesboro, Tennessee. Miller Brangus, owned by E. D., Doyle, and Bert Miller, has been in the cattle business for 41 years and in the registered Brangus business for 34 years. Miller Brangus strives to breed a superior seedstock cow herd using proven stockman principles in combination with the technologies of artificial insemination, embryo transfer, and ultrasound technology.

Doyle was born and raised in Waynesboro, Tennessee. After graduating from Wayne County High School in 1980, he attended Union University in Jackson, Tennessee. In the summer of 1984, he earned degrees in accounting and computer science.

Moving forward, Doyle is a long-time certified public accountant, and he has assisted individuals and businesses in a range of financial aspects that include tax and business planning, strategic planning, financial analysis, and general business consulting.

Doyle is married to the former Kathryn Pope. Kathryn has two sons, two daughter in-laws, and two granddaughters.

In the past, he has served on the International Brangus Breeders Association’s (IBBA) Promotion Committee, Finance Committee, Breed Improvement Committee, and Membership Services Committee.

If re-elected to serve on the IBBA Board of Directors, Doyle would like the members to know that the following areas will continue to be of importance to him:

  1. The IBBA is a member organization. When major decisions need to be made, the board of directors will try to get input from as many members possible.
  2. The general membership should be encouraged to attend most board meetings and standing committee meetings during the convention and fall meetings.
  3. The general membership should be encouraged to communicate concerns that are important to them to board members.
  4. We continually promote our breed as the black-hided cattle breed of choice for the more southern climates due to its heat tolerance, maternal traits, and ability to produce a carcass comparable in quality to Angus. If we, as an association, promote these facts at an appropriate level, we will increase the demand for our breed.
  5. As an association, we strive to grow our membership and the number of cattle we register.
  6. As a director, I will stay in contact with the members we serve.
  7. As an association, we periodically review the total herd reporting fee structure in an effort to treat all members as economically fair as possible.

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