BUNKHOUSE

CONTINUOUS CHANGE

CCA STAFF EVOLVING TO MEET MEMBER NEEDS

by CCA Executive Vice President Billy Gatlin

“No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it’s not the same river and he’s not the same man,” according to Greek philosopher Heraclitus.

The world and the people in it are constantly evolving. Change is inevitable. But when I reflect on my last 10 (almost 11) years at CCA I am equally amazed, terrified and excited by the rapid pace of that change. CCA leadership’s embrace of change has fueled the growth and impact of the Association over the last decade. Our strength is rooted in our ability to anticipate change and plan accordingly.

Somewhat ironic, but not surprising, our success in navigating an ever-changing environment is propelled by the consistency of CCA leadership and staff. Our officer team, executive committee and board of directors is comprised of ranchers with decades of experience serving in various CCA leadership roles. This hard-earned experience is invaluable and a critical component of our collective success.

Working alongside our well-seasoned members who serve on CCA leadership, is a core team of staff that has years of experience. In addition to my 10 years at the Association, CCA Finance Director Lisa Brendlen has also worked at CCA for 10 years; CCA Vice President of Governments Affairs Kirk Wilbur has eight years of experience at CCA; and CCA Director of Communications Katie Roberti is on her fifth year. In addition to our full time office staff, Stevie Ipsen, managing editor of the California Cattleman magazine, has served CCA’s membership for over 15 years.

It’s difficult to fully state and explain the profound impact these individuals and their collective experience have had on CCA and our ability to defend and promote our businesses and the ranching way of life.

Recent changes, including the formation of the California Cattle Council and the growth of the California Cattlemen’s Foundation have generated many exciting opportunities for us to further engage an everchanging world and expand our ability to serve and advocate for ranchers.

New additions to the team include CCA Media and Podcast Producer Ryan Donahue. Ten years ago, podcasts weren’t even on CCA’s radar. Now we host two podcasts—The Sorting Pen and Stories from California Cattle Country—which are continuously improving and covering new topics. Over the summer, we also gained Katherine Dickinson who has taken on the critical role of CCA Office Administrator.

Aside from CCA, the California Cattlemen’s Foundation has also embraced recent change. With the addition of the Foundation’s first, full-time staff member, public policy advocate Victoria Rodriguez is engaging on critical issues at the California Air Resources Board, the State Water Quality Control Board and within the California Natural Resources Agency. This position is funded in part due to a generous grant from the California Cattle Council.

Through an additional Foundation grant provided by the California Cattle Council, Jack Rice and Noah Lopez are also now providing regulatory assistance to all ranchers throughout the state via the Rancher Technical Assistance Program (RTAP). To learn more about RTAP you can visit https://www.calcattlemenfoundation.org/rtap.

These changes and additions at CCA and the Foundation, with more to come, will ensure that our industry is well positioned for future success. It has also created a need for us to update how we utilize the staff-authored Bunkhouse column in this magazine, to communicate with our readers and ensure you receive the most timely and relevant updates from those working to promote and serve California’s ranching and cattle industry.

Beginning, in March of 2022, Bunkhouse will incorporate updates from those working for the Foundation and independent contractors (such as the RTAP team) who are working on behalf of all of us.

As we are already making our way through 2022, I am not only excited about the year ahead of us, but can’t wait to see all we are able to achieve together over the next decade.