AGA BOARD OF DIRECTORS CANDIDATES The American Gelbvieh Association (AGA) nominating committee recommends the following seven candidates to fill the five open positions on the AGA board of directors. Additional nominations may be accepted from the floor during the annual meeting. Dustin Aherin, Missouri (seeking re-election) Mark Hopfer, Oregon Jeff Loveless, Utah (seeking re-election) Derek Martin, Kansas (seeking re-election) Dan McCarty, Colorado (seeking re-election) William McIntosh, Kentucky Mike Taubenhiem, Nebraska
The election for the AGA board of directors will take place during the AGA annual meeting at 3:00 p.m. CST on Friday, December 4, in Lincoln, Nebraska.
DUSTIN AHERIN, MISSOURI Originally from Phillipsburg, Kansas, my wife, Cassie, and I currently live in St. Charles, Missouri, given my position as a beef industry research analyst with Rabo AgriFinance, which is headquartered in the St. Louis area. Working with a global team of animal protein analysts, my primary role is offering insight to the bank and the bank’s clients regarding current and future developments in the North American beef industry. In February 2020, I completed a Ph.D. from Kansas State University’s Beef Cattle Institute where my research focused on the development of a beef cattle production model to assess the relationship between biological and economic efficiency at the cowcalf level in connection to cow size and lactation. As part of my Ph.D., I also completed a visiting fellowship at MIT’s Sloan business school. Having been involved with the Gelbvieh breed since 2003, I grew up in the junior program and served on the American Gelbvieh Junior Association board for several years. Throughout the years, as our lives, education, and careers have progressed, my brother, Tanner, and I have worked with Bar Arrow Cattle Company, LeDoux Ranch, and Eagle Pass Ranch to maintain a small herd of Gelbvieh and Balancer® cows. Making a conscious effort to gain a broad understanding of the beef industry, I’ve been involved in the seedstock, commercial cow-calf, and cattle feeding sectors. Internationally, I spent several months in Russia on a large ET and AI project. I’ve also toured the beef and agricultural industries of Argentina, Brazil, and the United Kingdom. Before returning to graduate school, I spent a year covering western Kansas as a feedyard sales representative for Elanco Animal Health. Beyond the past three years on the AGA Board, I’ve served on the AGA breed improvement committee since 2014, with several years as chair or co-chair, and as president of the Kansas Gelbvieh Association from 2017-2019. Increasing the industry relevance and market share of Gelbvieh-influenced cattle drives my motivation to re-run for the AGA Board. We’ve made progress in positioning the breed for the modern beef industry, but there’s still much to do. While I can’t offer the insight of a breeder who makes a living in the seedstock business, I hope my role as a beef industry analyst can help guide Gelbvieh and Balancer cattle to success in an ever-evolving world. I would appreciate your support.
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