SEMPER FIDELIS Past CCA Leadership Remembers CCA’s “Always Faithful” 43rd President, Bruce Hafenfeld by CCA Communications Director Katie Roberti “Latin for ‘Always Faithful,’ Semper Fidelis is the motto of every Marine—an eternal and collective commitment to the success of our battles, the progress of our Nation, and the steadfast loyalty to the fellow Marines we fight alongside,” the website of the U.S. Marine Corps says. As past presidents and leaders of the California Cattlemen’s Association shared stories and strengths of Kern County rancher Bruce Hafenfeld, just weeks after his passing on January 19, 2021, it didn’t take long to recognize Bruce was “always faithful.” As a retired Captain of the U.S. Marine Corps and leader for California’s cattle industry and ranching community, Bruce lived this motto out. Every other year, a new member assumes the role of CCA president for a two-year term, and from 2007 to 2008, Bruce took his turn after being elected among his peer in the Association. “Sometimes you are sorry that a guy only gets two years, and he’s [Bruce] one of the ones I am sorry he only had two years,” said Past CCA President Mark Nelson, Wilton. As Bruce served as CCA’s first vice president before taking the reins as president, Nelson served as CCA president from 2005-2006. To Nelson, Bruce was more than just an acquaintance he served with for a few years in a volunteer organization. He was a great friend. Someone Nelson grew to love and now growingly misses. “I want to start off by expressing my sorrow and how much I am going to miss Bruce,” Nelson said. “Bruce was a great man who cared about his family, his community, his friends and the industry he worked in, and it shows in the amount of time he gave to further all of those different things...” Through their friendship and time serving on the CCA officer team together, Nelson came to find out how much Bruce truly cared for his peers in the ranching community. He was compassionate about the issues impacting membership and the industry. When needed, he put in the time to study and understand the issues well. Additionally, Bruce was not afraid to ask questions to make sure he understood a problem or situation. “He’s the kind of guy you love to work with because you always know that he’s there, and he’s not going to go out on a limb without talking to people,” Nelson said. In an organization like CCA, filled with people of all personalities and ranching styles, disagreements among members are occasionally anticipated. While 46 California Cattleman March 2021
traveling across, up and down the state together visiting local cattlemen’s meetings and events on behalf of the Association, Bruce’s ability to read a crowd and manage situations impressed Nelson. “Bruce listened,” Nelson said. “He took in what your thoughts were, and he digested them. Maybe he agreed. Maybe he didn’t, but at least he heard it all before he made an opinion.” During their time serving CCA together one of the tasks Nelson and Bruce, along with the other officers, took on was helping lead the staff and office in 2006 during a transition period of executive directors for the Association. The two assisted in hiring Matt Byrne, Woodland, as the executive director of CCA during that time, and he continued in the role for the next half-decade. “You never had to wonder if Bruce was in your corner,” Byrne said of the first president he worked a full term with as the executive director for CCA. With Bruce leading through the everyday issues and the unexpected ones, Byrne learned from his leadership both on a personal and professional level. The time Bruce put into cultivating relationships, maintaining partnerships between organizations and building connections with sectors of the cattle industry are among the key strengths of his that stood out to Byrne. Bruce worked at maintaining CCA’s relationship with the California Rangeland Trust and working with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to build the California Rangeland Conservation Coalition. He sought opportunities to represent and engage different sectors of the state’s beef supply chain that weren’t fully involved in CCA, such as calf ranches and feedyards. However, perhaps the most meaningful is the value Bruce placed on making personal connections. ““When he would come to the office, he would sit down with each member of the staff and have a business conversation but also a personal conversation,” Byrne said. “It was really appreciated by the entire staff that we had a president who clearly cared about us as an employee and as a person.” Additionally, Byrne respected the effort Bruce made to stay connected to his family even when he was on the road, as CCA leadership often is to attend local cattlemen’s associations and events throughout the year. Specifically, Bruce always made time to step away from the crowd to call Sylvia, his wife of 46 years. “No matter how long our days were, or how late the
