Bertz, Mitchell and Woodruff Leave Their Mark on RAAA Marketing

by Katie Martin, Assistant Director of Communications

The Red Angus Association of America recently said goodbye to three valuable members of its commercial marketing team. Harold Bertz, Chessie Mitchell and Nolan Woodruff have moved on from Red Angus to pursue other career opportunities. Each made his or her own unique contributions to the Association and the breed during their time with RAAA.

Harold Bertz joined the RAAA staff in 2014 as the director of business development. He served as an instrumental member of the commercial marketing department, becoming director of commercial marketing in early 2018. During his tenure on the marketing team, RAAA’s value-added options expanded significantly and now include Premium Red Baldy, American Red and Red Choice. He accomplished much in terms of strengthening the FCCP and Allied Access programs and building a strong team in the field. Bertz was intuitive and keen at spotting talent. Under his leadership, the commercial marketing team grew to its largest staff in history.

Bertz was a highly adaptable team player, willing to step up to the plate when the need arose. A strong proponent of creating greater pull-through demand for Red Angus cattle, he recently spent significant time communicating with feeders and packers to open doors for Red Angus cattle to be accepted into more branded beef programs. He worked diligently on the important change to the Red Angus Live Animal Specification with the USDA, which allowed Red Angus cattle to be included in Angus-labeled branded beef programs at the brand owner’s request.

Bertz’s experience as an agriculture education instructor made him a strong mentor for his colleagues. He continuously studied agriculture market trends and industry news, and encouraged his team to do the same. He knew no stranger, and quickly became a trusted confidant for Red Angus seedstock and commercial producers across the country. His deep knowledge of the cattle industry and all things agriculture made him a trusted source of information to all who knew him.

“Harold’s support and encouragement has been very valuable to us,” said Don and Cindy Sitz of Sitz Ranch, LLC in Drewsey, Oregon. “We always enjoyed visiting with him about the cattle market. It’s been a pleasure working with Harold, and we wish him the best on his new job!”

Bertz and his wife, Melisa, live in Mayview, Missouri. They have two adult children, Molly and August. Bertz’s family also deserves recognition for their contributions to RAAA, as they sacrificed much time with him while he spent countless nights away from home over his nine-year tenure. Bertz transitioned to his new role as chief operating officer of the American Royal in early May.

“Harold earned the respect of all of those he worked with,” said Tom Brink, RAAA CEO. “The Red Angus breed is stronger today and better positioned in the beef industry because of Harold’s tireless work.”

Chessie Mitchell began her career with RAAA in 2014 as a marketing intern, while attending Tarleton State University in Stephenville, Texas. She served Red Angus in many capacities in the years that followed, becoming the assistant director of value-added programs in 2021.

Bertz, Mitchell and Woodruff Leave Their Mark on RAAA Marketing

For all that Mitchell did for the marketing department, her willingness to step up to any task led her to contribute to nearly every department during her tenure at RAAA. She worked in communications, member services and as an IT support professional. Mitchell also served as RAAA show coordinator, Buckle & Banner editor and ran the production of the annual National Red Angus Convention. She saw RAAA through many transitional periods, including the move of the national headquarters from Denton, Texas, to Commerce City, Colorado.

Brink is very thankful for Mitchell’s tireless work and said, “Chessie deserves high praise for the work she did at RAAA during the past nine years. She earned the admiration of everyone she worked with and was a go-to person for many on the RAAA staff across a wide range of topics. She proved over and over that she is super smart, super caring and tremendously loyal to the breed, the organization and its people.”

On Mitchell’s watch, FCCP and Allied Access enrollments achieved record highs. Her unparalleled attention to detail helped her lead RAAA through many successful USDA audits. She navigated the tag supply challenges that came with COVID-19 professionally, while always keeping the customer in mind. Mitchell took on the massive task of bringing tag shipments in-house to ensure that customers would always receive their shipments in a timely manner.

Mitchell was a forward thinker, open to incorporating new technologies to better serve commercial producers. RAAA’s value-added department incorporated timely enhancements under Mitchell’s direction. In 2019, Mitchell led the push for producers to have the option to purchase stand-alone EID tags. Mitchell was a great listener, and the request from many customers for additional value-added options sparked Mitchell’s idea of forming a partnership with IMI Global in 2021.

“Chessie did a wonderful job representing the Red Angus Association and producers of the RAAA,” said Mindi Birkeland, audit team and regional manager for IMI Global, a division of Where Food Comes From, Inc.

“She understood the opportunities and challenges Red Angus beef producers were faced with daily, and always worked diligently to find ways to add value to their operations. I had the opportunity to work closely with Chessie and she was always responsive and happy to assist however she could. In many ways, the partnership between IMI Global and Red Angus was fostered by Chessie, and she has been a foundational part of the success of the Red Angus verification programs.”

Mitchell left the RAAA marketing department in a stronger position in many regards. She managed the marketing department’s email marketing services, as well as the Stock-