LUCK OF THE IRISH: LAST YEAR TO NOW

by CCA Associate Director of Communications Maureen LaGrande

The luck of the Irish truly fell upon me on March 17, 2022. On this day I was sitting in an agricultural communications lecture as a teaching assistant at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, when an Instagram post appeared in my feed from the California Cattlemen’s Association with the caption “Join our Team.” As I sat in the classroom, I thought to myself, “is this post a sign?” It’s St. Patrick’s Day, I’m Irish, my name is Maureen and I like cows, four affirmative attributes just like a four-leaf clover. Could it be any more obvious that I should apply? With graduation approaching what better time to see a job opening in a field that I had always hoped to work. Little did I know that a year later I would be sitting at my desk, in the new CCA office writing the March Bunkhouse for the California Cattleman magazine.

While I did not start working for the association until June, the last nine months here have been nothing short of amazing. Writing my first story, working at the annual CCA and CCW Convention and experiencing the office move from 1221 H Street are just a few of the many things I have done during my time at CCA.

Going from a graduate student to a fulltime working woman was a transition and finds me learning something new every day. Speaking with our members whether it be on the phone, through email or in person has by far been the highlight of this job. From Siskiyou County all the way down to Ventura, the pleasure of hearing about our members’ experiences and unique operations has zoomed my lens into the various perspectives of ranching in California.

CCA is rich in history and pride from its members, who have been true pioneers of the past, present and future of the beef industry and it is a privilege to be associated with these individuals. One of my favorites jobs to date was co-writing the November edition of Hot Irons . This edition was written to highlight the sale of the 1221 H Street building as well as share with the Association the timeline of the different locations CCA has called home since 1913. The dedication members have to the Association proved true decades ago. in their efforts to raise funds for the purchase of our previous building in 1985. John Lacey , Paso Robles, the current CCA President at the time shared with me the countless number of hours and effort the building committee and others put in to finding CCA a building that could serve as a meeting place as well as a connection to legislators at the neighboring capitol building. By researching the history of past locations, I found myself flipping through old CCA magazines giving me a glimpse of how much the industry has changed over the years, yet also in much retrospect stayed the same.

The annual CCA and CCW Convention also served as a first as an employee and not a young cattlemen’s attendee. It was elating to put names to

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