Board Recap: A Changing Landscape — From Industry Shifts to Market Challenges, Strategic Planning Sets Angus Up for the Future

Keeping the breed moving forward, guided by the membership — that's the role of the American Angus Association Board of Directors. The group met this week to: Review fiscal year trends in fiscal numbers and program enrollments  Address member feedback on everything from amplifying the Pathfinder® program to a rule change for donor dams  Adopt an updated tissue sample archival policy   Get updates on the following research projects: $B validation, cow efficiency, bovine congestive heart failure (BCHF) studies and haplotype Approve a three-year long-range plan for Angus Genetics Inc.  Discuss the increases inflation and price hikes have had on the long-term profitability of the Angus Journal®  Learn more about the Certified Angus Beef ® supply challenges and strength in demand  Discuss the Angus Foundation opportunities and planning for the future  This conversation gives you an inside look at discussions around the board table, including decisions that were made and how the Board arrived at them.  HOSTS: Miranda Reiman and Mark McCully GUESTS:  Jim Brinkley, 2026 president and chairman, has served on the American Angus Association Board of Directors for the past seven years. Along with their children, Crystal and Justin, Brinkley and his wife, Sherry, own 1,300 acres and 400 registered Angus cattle at Brinkley Angus Ranch (BAR) near Milan, Mo. Paul Bennett manages Knoll Crest Farm, Inc., a four-generation seedstock operation, near Red House, Va. Bennett’s grandfather, Paul D. Bennett, established a registered cow herd in 1944, and the family transitioned the farm from a typical southside-Virginia tobacco, livestock and crop farm to a beef seedstock operation in the 1980s. Today, Knoll Crest is operated by the team of brothers — Jim, Brian and Paul — along with Paul’s nephew, Dalton. Bennett and his wife, Tracy, have two children, Scott and Sarah, and four grandchildren.  Alan Mead is a third-generation Angus breeder from Barnett, Mo. After completing his undergraduate degree, medical school and his residency, Mead returned to the area in 1994 as a board-certified anesthesiologist practitioner, serving his local community while harboring a new vision for Mead Farms. The farm has grown to more than 7,000 acres and close to 1,500 registered Angus cows in addition to Charolais, Hereford and Red Angus cattle. Mead has two daughters who are actively working as the fourth generation of Mead Farms.    RELATED READING: President's Letter Angus Genetics Inc. research projects Brand Production Beyond Borders  Don't miss news in the Angus breed. Visit www.AngusJournal.net and subscribe to the AJ Daily e-newsletter and our monthly magazine, the Angus Journal.