AGA Modifies Breed Percentage Acceptance

GW AGA NEWS Three New Faces Join the AGA Team

The American Gelbvieh Association (AGA) is pleased to announce the hiring of three new team members: Katelyn (Katie) Harbert, Lindsay Upperman and Laura Handke.

KATIE HARBERT

GELBVIEH MEDIA PRODUCTIONS

Hailing from Kingman, Kansas, Katie Harbert will finish her degree in agricultural communications at Kansas State University (KSU) in May 2021 and join AGA full-time in the role of Gelbvieh Media Productions coordinator, soon after. During her time at KSU, Katie has served as an editor of numerous publications, including the Royal Purple Yearbook, and has served as both a College of Agriculture Ambassador and president of Agriculture Communicators of Tomorrow.

“I am so honored to join the dynamic team at AGA and utilize my skills and experiences to help grow Gelbvieh Media,” Katie shares, “I look forward to continuing to advance communication for the association and its members. It is an exciting time to get involved in this rapidly-evolving industry.”

LINDSAY UPPERMAN

PERFORMANCE PROGRAMS COORDINATOR Assuming the role of performance programs coordinator, Lindsay Upperman, originally from Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, joined the AGA team December 28, 2020, after obtaining her Ph.D. in animal breeding and genetics from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

An active member of 4-H, Lindsay says that she has fond memories of traveling the country with her parents to show livestock and participate in livestock judging and stockman’s contests and attributes her passion for the beef industry to these experiences.

After high school, Lindsay attended school at Butler Community College where she was a member of the junior college’s livestock judging team. After earning an associate of applied science in agriculture, Lindsay joined the ranks of the KSU livestock judging team where she received the All-American Judging Team Award and completed a bachelor’s degree in animal science. Traveling to the West Coast, Lindsay earned her master’s degree in animal biology from the University of California-Davis where her studies focused on lethal recessive alleles in beef cattle. Returning to the Midwest, Lindsay is currently completing final coursework for her Ph.D. at University of Nebraska-Lincoln, which focuses on the estimation of genetic parameters for days to finish traits in beef cattle.

“Starting from a young age, I have been involved with the beef cattle industry through raising my own herd, livestock judging competitions, and even completing graduate education focused on beef cattle research. Through these experiences, I am prepared and excited to help guide the Gelbvieh and Balancer producers in reaching their operation’s genetic potential towards a more profitable future,” Lindsay says.

LAURA HANDKE EDITORIAL CONTRACTOR

Laura Handke joins the AGA team as an editorial contractor, after freelancing for Gelbvieh World for the past two years and will help to create and coordinate content for Gelbvieh World and other AGA communications efforts. Laura, her husband and eight-year-old daughter, Audrey, live in Easton, Kansas, and run a small herd of commercial cattle.

Laura holds both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in agriculture science from Northwest Missouri State University and has been professionally involved in

agriculture communications for the past decade, working on education initiatives and content for crop and animal health companies and associations.

Laura says of the opportunity to join the AGA team, “I am excited to have the opportunity to join the AGA team, and look forward to sharing the story and communications of a breed that has meant so much to me throughout my life.”

“I am thrilled to be having these three individuals joining our team,” says Megan Slater, AGA executive director. “All three bring a unique set of talents that will fit nicely into the hardworking staff at the AGA.” D

DECEMBER 8-10, 2021

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