Q&A with AHA Board Member Jim Coley

by Kathryn Ingram

Jim Coley of Coley Herefords in Lafayette, Tennessee was elected to the American Hereford Association Board of Directors in October 2022, at the AHA Annual Meeting. Jim and his wife Kay currently maintain a 50-cow herd of predominately Line One Herefords on the original Coley homeplace. The Coley’s are third generation Hereford Breeders. Members of the Coley family have been advocates for the Hereford breed at local, state, regional, and national levels since 1938. Jim has served the Tennessee Hereford Association in many different capacities over the years. His strong worth ethic and enthusiasm for the Hereford breed will now provide benefits for the members of the AHA. I was able to ask Jim about his experience running for the AHA board and his new responsibilities.

What motivated you to run for the AHA board of directors?

I am a candidate because of my love for Hereford Cattle, Hereford Breeders, and my desire to contribute to the future of the Hereford Business.

What was your favorite part of the experience?

Getting to meet AHA members from all over the country and learning about their cattle and their ideas about how to make our cattle and our association better.

What are the responsibilities of the AHA Board of Directors?

The Board is to give direction to the Executive Vice President and staff of the AHA about how it operates and the direction it is headed.

What committees will you serve on this year?

I will serve on the Marketing/Communications, Hereford Publications, Member Services, and the Hall of Fame/ Merit Committees.

What are you looking forward to the most during your time on the board?

Learning more about how our association operates, getting to know fellow board members and other breeders that I have the opportunity to meet.

Are there any specific goals you hope to accomplish within the organization?

I hope to have a positive influence on the direction of our breed. Another key focus is to help the AHA to influence Hereford breeders to select genetics that makes our bulls better tools for commercial breeders.

Pictured is the 2022-23 AHA Board of Directors. Front row (l to r): Jack Ward, AHA executive vice president, Bill Goehring, president, Libertyville, Iowa; Wyatt Agar, vice president, Thermopolis, Wyo.; Becky King-Spin- dle, Moriarty, N.M., Whitey Hunt, Madison, Ga.; Jerome Ollerich, Clearfield, S.D.; and Bob Schaffer, Spotsylvania Courthouse, Va. Back row (l to r): Lou Ellen Harr, Jeromesville, Ohio; Travis McConnaughy, Wasola, Mo.; Chad Breeding, Miami, Texas; Jim Coley, Coley, Lafayette, Tenn.; Austin Snedden, Maricopa, Calif.; and Hampton Cornelius, LaSalle, Colo.