Board of Director Candidates!!

International Brangus Breeders Association

The International Brangus ® Breeders Association’s (IBBA) mission is to empower its members to advance the quality, reliability and value of Brangus and Brangus-influenced cattle; to provide innovative programs and services which enhance the economic well-being of members and commercial customers. In order for the association to continue striving toward the advancement of these objectives, it is of utmost importance to maintain leadership with IBBA’s best interest at heart. IBBA counts on its members to appoint leaders for involvement within the association and its official business.

There are five positions to be filled on IBBA’s Board of Directors. Please review the following biographies for candidates from areas one, five, seven, nine, and ten. Election ballots will be mailed to IBBA members on November 10. All ballots must be returned to the accounting firm, not IBBA’s office. Ballots returned to IBBA’s office will not be counted. Ballots must be postmarked by December 31.

Chris Heptinstall

After graduating from high school, Chris cut his teeth in the cattle business day working for Debter Hereford Farm in Horton, AL. His thoughts were to become a veterinarian, but after being involved in the production side of the business, his focus shifted to becoming a herdsman. He worked with the Debter family while earning an Associate of Science from Snead State Community College. From there he was fortunate enough to attend Auburn University; where he worked at the Auburn University Beef Teaching Unit and the Bull Development Unit, while earning his Bachelor of Science in Animal and Dairy Sciences. While attending Auburn University, he completed an internship at Bent Tree Farms, Mountain Cove Division, where he worked on developing the Southpol composite.

After graduation, Chris took the job of Assistant Herdsman at Debter Hereford Farm. From there he was Herdsman at Flint River Farm in Owens Crossroads, AL, and then became General Manager of Blount County Farmers Cooperative in Oneonta, AL, where he gained more knowledge of feed, fertilizer, and chemicals. He was Secretary to the Board of Directors of Blount County Farmers Cooperative, and sat on the Strategic Planning committee for Alabama Farmers Cooperative. From here, Chris was offered the opportunity to get back into the cattle business when Mark Cowan, the President of Camp Cooley Ranch, offered him the position of Operations Manager at Camp Cooley.

After the dispersal of Camp Cooley Ranch, Chris spent a brief time selling cattle supplements and starting his own herd of Horned Hereford cattle that he and a managing partner sold to W4 Farms in 2016. Shortly after, Dr. David Vaughan, Jr. brought him on as General Manager of Salacoa Valley Farms, where since then has sold the cow herd and leased the ranch to the Seminole Tribe of Florida, Inc.

He served the IBBA in several capacities in the past few years. In 2016 he sat on the Membership Committee. In 2017 he chaired the Breed Improvement committee. This active committee put in place 3 new EPD’s and 2 Indexes. He sits on the newly formed Strategic Planning Committee. In 2018 he was chair of Finance Committee, and Secretary to the Board. He also sits on the Board of the SBBA.

AREA 5 Jack Gorcyca

Working together with a common goal in mind of helping to raise quality cattle that will work for the everyday beef operation is the objective of Jack Gorczyca of Gorczyca and Son Brangus. Jack started raising registered Brangus in 1990 in Harrah, Oklahoma.

Jack grew up in a small rural town of Konawa, Oklahoma where he participated in the Local 4-H and FFA Program and found a passion for raising and exhibiting livestock. After completion of High School in 1978, he attended Murray State College on a Livestock Judging Scholarship for two years, then moving on to Oklahoma State University where he participated in Livestock Judging and received a Degree in Agricultural Education in 1982 which allowed him the opportunity to continue with his passion for livestock.

Jack started his Vocational Agriculture teaching career in Harrah, Oklahoma which was only 50 miles from where he grew up. Gorczyca had planned on being in Harrah for only a short while and returning to the family farm, but instead he started and finished a career of 33 years of teaching in Harrah. During his supervision of the Harrah FFA the chapter was recognized three times as a National Gold Emblem Chapter, which is the highest award that a FFA program can receive nationally. Jack also was recognized as the outstanding Agriculture teacher in 2012-2013, as well as, serving as District Vice-President for the State FFA Association.

In 1990 Jack purchased 12 Registered Brangus Cow calf pairs from Donica Brothers in Antlers, Oklahoma and this is where the love for Brangus developed. Jack had been raised breeding and showing Hereford cattle, but after weaning those first 12 calves and seeing the added pounds of a Brangus, Jack was hooked and the rest was history.

Jack soon realized on a teacher salary the genetics in the Brangus Breed which he sought were out of reach for him to purchase, so A-I became a valuable tool for him and his wife and son. Through selective selection of A-I sires the Gorczyca family have been able to move their Brangus operation to a new level and allowed Jack to continue with his passion of teaching school and raising quality cattle. The Gorczyca Family has bred numerous Champions on county, district and state levels in Oklahoma and the surrounding states. Some of the Highlights from their ranch include: Showbull of the year and The International Grand Champion Bull 2009, as well as, 4 National Junior Grand Champions and 3 Reserve Grands, recognized as Breeder of the year in the Oklahoma Brangus Association in 2007.

Jack has been very active in the State Brangus Association for the last 20 years where in this time he has served 3 terms as OBA State President, 1 term as OBA sales vice-president, and 1 term as OBA officer at Large. The Gorczyca family is the longest active member for selling cattle in the 2 state sales which are held each year in the Spring and Fall in Oklahoma. Many breeders find this as an opportunity for them to show case their cattle to new buyers.

Since retirement 3 years ago, Jack and Patty have spent every waking moment on improving pastures, which in turn makes for better cattle as now they are running a 100 head of registered cows in the Harrah location.

Jack has always hoped to have the opportunity to be a more active part in our International Association and now with retirement here, he would appreciate the chance to be the voice of all breeders in area 5, to help make our breed be the best it can be. Your support would be greatly appreciated

Don’t forget: When you receive your election ballot, complete it and send it to Akin, Doherty, Klein and Feuge, PC, 8610 N New Braunfels, Ste. 101, San Antonio, TX 78217 before Dec. 31.

AREA 5 Shiloh Hall

Shiloh Hall is third generation cattleman. His family ranch originated in eastern Tulsa County. As a child his father moved to Okmulgee County where he maintained a cow calf operation of commercial Brangus cattle and used Hereford bulls.

After he came back home from the Marine Corps and doing a tour in Iraq, he bought his first set of registered Brangus Cattle in 2009. He became a IBBA member in 2010. After several years his father and he have grown a commercial and registered Brangus operation together of approximately 200 head of cattle.

Over the past several years he has taken a proactive approach with the IBBA volunteering for committees. He has served on the Membership and Education committees for three years, chairing those committees two out of the three years. Hall is currently serving on the Commercial Marketing Committee.

Hall has been in attendance at recent annual meetings and conferences including the Annual Meeting in San Antonio, TX, February 2017; Fall Conference in Okeechobee, FL, August 2017; and the Fall Conference in Tyler, TX, September 2018.

As a member of the Oklahoma Brangus Association, Hall has held the seat of Vice President of Promotions for the past several years.

In addition to his ranching endeavors, Hall has served as an Oklahoma State Trooper for the past 12 years. His most crowning achievement are his two daughters, Paige and Reese, who most IBBA members have had the pleasure to meet at the meetings they’ve attended with their father.

As a member of the IBBA Board of Directors Hall will continue preserve the traditions of the Brangus breed. In addition, he will strive to promote and ensure the Brangus breed stays progressive in the ever changing cattle industry.

AREA 7 Lee Alford III

Lee Alford, current IBBA board director for area 7, is a fifth generation rancher born and raised in Burleson County, Texas. Lee currently ranches land that has been in his family since 1872, while serving the IBBA and other organizations. He attended Caldwell High School where he was very active in FFA. Lee was selected Star Farmer of the State of Texas his senior year. After his high school graduation, he attended the University of Texas in Austin on a football scholarship. He is extremely proud to have played for the greatest motivator he has ever known, Coach Darrell Royal.

After leaving college, Lee married Mary Collerain and they were blessed with two sons and three grandchildren. Mary passed away in 2013 after 50 years of marriage.

Returning to Burleson County, he expanded his existing ranching operation and was part owner and manager of Caldwell Livestock Commission Company. Upon selling his interest in the auction barn, Lee started buying and selling cattle in load lots on order from both yearling and feedlot operators. He has sold many times the number of cattle over the telephone as he has in person, operating on the premise that they will be exactly as described when they come off the truck; never having a load turned down for being inaccurately described.

In 1978 Lee leased a large ranch in far West Texas (Culberson and Hudspeth counties) which he operated along with his Burleson County ranch for 24 years. These ranches were stocked with commercial Brangus cows and mixed breed yearling steers. At the end of 2002, Lee dropped the West Texas lease and started changing from commercial to registered Brangus® cows.

After joining the IBBA, he served on the commercial marketing committee for several years. Lee was chosen Commercial Producer of the Year in 2010. He is currently a Director, and

member of the Advisory Committee of the Post Oak Savannah Ground Water Conservation District (Burleson and Milam counties) and a ruling elder on the session of the First Presbyterian Church of Caldwell.

Lee has an extensive background in all phases of the cattle industry; registered cow/calf, commercial cow/

calf, yearling and feedlot. He believes that Brangus is the ideal breed for all phases of the industry in the Southern USA and that he can use his experience to help all members of the IBBA in Area 7 by continuing to serve on the Board of Directors. Lee takes this opportunity to ask for both YOUR SUPPORT and YOUR VOTE.

AREA 7 Pete DeLeeuw

Pete DeLeeuw and his family operate Pennridge Ranch in Paige, Texas (about an hour east of Austin). Pete bought his first 12 Brangus® heifers in 1978 after he had purchased a small ranch in Brenham, Texas. For many years he had a small registered operation with about 40 Brangus females.

While he used AI and ET, he was constrained in time and finances as he had four children in college and job commitments that required substantial travel. In 2011, the family purchased and moved to the current ranch in Paige, Texas. He became semi-retired so he could devote significant time and effort to his Brangus cattle. His herd is now about 200 registered cows and all females are either AI’d or used as recips (along with commercial females) for the ET program. He has made significant genetic progress with the herd and

is committed to doing what it takes to become one of the recognized top breeders in Brangus.

His business background has been in the chemical industry with senior executive positions with Shell and CEO of another chemical company.

He has also been active in his community and was on the Tomball School Board for 9 years. In the IBBA, he has served on the Breed Improvement Committee for many years.

His rationale for being a member of the IBBA Board is:

1. He has experience in being on productive (as well as unproductive) boards and would work hard to ensure the IBBA has one of the most effective boards in the industry.

2. He states that he is competitive and wants to aggressively promote the breed – Brangus has about the same number of cattle (with data submitted) in 2016 as it had in the early 90’s. Other breeds such as Angus have had considerable growth – given the positive attributes of Brangus cattle, he believes we should be a leading growth breed. Growth should

be a priority.

3. The IBBA is making significant progress in being a progressive breed in the use of genomics as well as sponsoring important research work in thermotolerance along with the development of a “stayability” rating for our females. He would plan to continue pushing Brangus to be the clear leader in the American breeds in producing carcass, fertility and other data that will make it easier for members to make good breeding decisions for their herd improvement.

4. The one EPD area that Brangus does not have enough data on is Marbling – other competitive breeds tout their marbling numbers and while Brangus has excellent marbling data, we currently do not have enough data to publish our numbers. This is a top priority area for him.

“If elected, I will put in the time and effort to contribute towards making Brangus seen as the premier breed in all the parts of the US where it can thrive. I will work towards making our case data driven so our advantaged list of attributes is clear to any progressive cattleman.”

AREA 9 Steve Densmore

Steve has been involved in all phases of the cattle industry the majority of his life. He considers himself fortunate that Brangus cattle were the predominant breed during these past decades.

After graduating from John Marshall High School, Steve went to work for Alamo Angus Ranch as a cowboy and worked his way to a management position. Steve, during his employment, learned and became proficient in Artificial Insemination (AI) and palpation.

breed of cattle, at Camp Cooley Ranch. Steve’s next employment was with Granada Land and Cattle in 1979. In 1981, Dick Rotwell, owner of Horizon Land and Cattle talked Steve into becoming his manager of his Brangus operation.

Maggie, Steve and Mary Densmore’s daughter, was born in 1984 and changed Steve’s personal and professional life. As Maggie grew in age her interest turned to showing Brangus cattle. Steve and Maggie made a great team and started Steve’s involvement in the TJBBA from 1987 until 2007. He also served as an adult advisor for IJBBA for the past eleven years – four of those eleven years has been the Chairman of the Junior Advisory Board. For all the years of serving these juniors and raising funds for their projects, Steve was recognized by these juniors and received the prestigious Georgann Myers award in 2011.

elected to the IBBA Board to serve an unexpired one-year term in 2009 and a three-year term in 2010 to 2013. In 2015, Steve was elected to serve on the IBBA Board from 2016 – 2019 and represent Area 9, the same area Steve desires to represent once again with area members support and vote.

Steve’s peers recognized him as the 2013 Breeder of the Year and he is now serving on the Brangus Foundation Board.

On June 30, 2018, this year, Steve retired from his eighteen years of employment with Circle X Land and Cattle as their Brangus cattle manager. Fellow breeders have asked Steve his intentions after retirement and his answer is as follows “I want to spend more time with my daughter Maggie and granddaughter Tarynn living in Richardson, Texas. I remain dedicated to the IJBBA and serving more time as their Adult Advisor and if Area 9 members are willing to elect me for my second term, I will have more time to devote to the Brangus Breed and IBBA.” Therefore, Steve is once again asking for your support, vote and trust.

AREA 9 Mike Weathers

When Mike Weathers is involved in an endeavor, he brings energy, integrity and a strong sense of fairness. Along with a love for his Brangus cattle, Mike is known for a keen business mind and a driving desire to absolutely do things the right way.

Mike Weather’s business career began in Houston in the banking industry. By 1987, he worked his way up the ladder rapidly and moved into the investment banking business. In 1993, Mike and a group of investors formed Amherst Securities where Mike served as President until his departure in 2000.

supporting charitable organizations for the children of their community. The charitable organizations included sponsorships for the Calf Scramble event at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. He has continued giving back by supporting local FFA programs and IJBBA. In 2010, the Genesis Ranch donated the IJBBA Foundation Heifer and continues to support Colorado County Youth show projects.

Weather’s and his wife, Gloria, purchased their ranch near Columbus, Texas in 1995. By the end of 1996, they decided to raise Brangus cattle and began acquiring their first commercial heifers to begin building their herd. In the early 2000’s, Mike was introduced to Joe Fuller during his stint with Camp Cooley Ranch. Fuller assisted him with his initial purchase of registered cattle in 2004 where he purchased his first herd sire for Genesis Ranch, the very popular Brinks Brightside 607L11. “L11” proved to be a very beneficial and

impactful acquisition who went on to become a two-time Show Sire of the Year along with being a favorite still to this day of registered, commercial and international cattlemen.

Upon retirement in 2006, Mike and Gloria relocated full time to the ranch to concentrate more on the cattle business. At that time, Mike committed his time to converting his herd into a 100% registered Brangus herd and became more involved with IBBA. He has served several years on the IBBA Finance Committee, and now is serving as President of the Texas Brangus Breeders Association (TBBA) during his 3-year term on the TBBA Board of Directors.

As a representative for Area 9 on the IBBA Board of Directors, Mike will spend time supporting the breed, and serving its members. Mike’s career in Finance will be an asset to the IBBA and his focus will be to grow and improve the commercial, registered, and junior programs in the IBBA and overall organizational effectiveness.

AREA 10 Troy Floyd

The Floyds make their living raising Brangus ® cattle on a 32,000 acre rock pile in the eastern foothills of the Sacramento Mountains west of Roswell, New Mexico. Troy

acquired his first Brangus cattle in 1971 and joined the IBBA shortly after. His IBBA membership number is 2254. Troy is a past president of the Southwest Brangus Breeders Association and was a registration inspector for IBBA until selfinspections started. Troy is currently chairman of the Chaves County FSA county committee.

His wife Terri is a life member of the IBA and a past chairperson of the scholarship committee. Troy and Terri have two grown children; Kevin Floyd and Sally Allen. They both showed Brangus heifers when they were in school and Sally served on the IJBBA Board of Directors.

Thank you for your consideration.