Bruce Berven

Bruce Berven is executive director of the California Beef Council, Pleasanton, Calif. He and his staff work to increase the opportunity for all segments of the beef industry to earn a fair return on investment through market development programs that build demand for beef products. Prior to joining the California Beef Council, he served as senior vice president of the Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion and Research Board, as well as senior vice president of the National Cattlemen’s Association, vice president of the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF), and executive director of the Iowa Beef Industry Council and Iowa Cattlemen’s Association. He is a native of Iowa and received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Iowa State University.

Brett Erickson

Brett Erickson has served as director of value-added products for Certified Angus Beef LLC (CAB) since 2000. His responsibilities include product development of underutilized cuts, licensing further-processed meat manufacturers and managing division operations and personnel. His leadership has made value-added product sales a major area of focus and growth for CAB. Before joining the CAB staff, he worked for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) for seven years, leaving the organization as director of corporate marketing. A native of Fort Lupton, Colo., Erickson earned a bachelor’s degree in animal sciences from Colorado State University and was active in junior Angus programs during his youth. He and his wife, Tracey, have three children and reside in Wooster, Ohio.

Tim Schiefelbein

Tim Schiefelbein is the value-based procurement manager for ConAgra Inc. He implemented ConAgra’s pricing formulas for buying fed cattle on quality, yield and weight specifications, and he has developed data sheets and information systems for reporting all carcass and quality information. He has been instrumental in developing and conducting numerous programs for the company. Before joining ConAgra, Schiefelbein was the commercial marketing director for the American Gelbvieh Association (AGA). There he initiated one of the first alliances with a major packer and put together several programs and events to benefit AGA members.

Weldon Hawley

Weldon Hawley is the ranch manager for the W.T. Waggoner Estate in Vernon, Texas, which consists of more than a half million acres of ranching, farming and oil production. He is responsible for managing 13,000 mother cows, 700 bulls and the ranch’s marketing programs. Hawley says he believes that bull selection is the single most important factor in a successful breeding program and that understanding the genetics in your herd is more critical now than ever before. He oversees 40 employees at the Waggoner Estate and has 32 years of experience in various areas of the beef cattle business.

W.E. “Bill” Beal

Bill Beal is a professor in the department of animal and poultry sciences at Virginia Tech. His research involves aspects of applied reproductive physiology in beef cattle. Currently he is focused on estrus synchronization methods and embryo transfer (ET) techniques. Beal is an expert in ultrasound use for monitoring ovarian function and pregnancy in cattle. The purebred herd at Virginia Tech is under his direction. The Michigan native graduated with animal science degrees from Michigan State University, the University of Wyoming and Cornell University. Beal, along with his family, raises Angus cattle.

Keith Evans

In 1998, Keith Evans retired from a 35-year career with the American Angus Association, where he worked as director of the Association’s Communications and Public Relations Department. Since then, he has written a book on the history of the American Angus Association. He also writes a syndicated marketing column for beef cattle publications. Under his direction, the Association won numerous national advertising awards. His interest in teaching Angus breeders to improve their marketing and advertising efforts led him to develop a series of merchandising seminars and to compile two books of monthly columns on merchandising. He and his wife, Shirley, live in Saint Joseph, Mo.

Jay Leachman

Jay Leachman was born and raised on an Angus ranch and received his bachelor’s degree from Kansas State University (K-State). He has owned and operated Leachman Angus Ranch, Bozeman, Mont., since 1973. At the ranch, they manage 250 registered Angus cows and raise an additional 100 calves via ET. They host the “Business Bulls” sale every March on the ranch and market females, semen and embryos via private treaty. Leachman genetics are marketed worldwide, including to several South American countries, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and the British Isles. He is a past director and president of the Montana Angus Association and the Montana Beef Performance Association.

Rob Thomas

Rob Thomas and his wife, Lori, own and operate Thomas Angus Ranch in Baker City, Ore. After graduating from K-State, he returned to the family ranching operation, which includes 650 registered cows and an extensive ET program. Thomas Angus Ranch was recognized as the Beef Improvement Federation’s (BIF) seedstock producer of the year in 1997 and is committed to performance-based selection in its herd. In the past decade, the ranch has seen substantial increases in both the number of bulls marketed and the average price of those bulls. Thomas attributes this success to their progressive approach to marketing and their focus on the customer.

Bill Rishel

Bill Rishel and his wife, Barb, purchased their first registered Angus female in 1966 to establish Rishel Angus, North Platte, Neb. Today they manage 300 head of registered Angus cows and market seedstock at their fall female sale and spring bull sale, as well as via private treaty. Bill has served on the American Angus Association Board of Directors and as chairman of the board for Certified Angus Beef LLC (CAB). His involvement on the state level includes serving as the director of Nebraska Cattlemen Inc., director for the Nebraska Corn Fed Beef program and president of the Nebraska Cattlemen’s Research and Education Foundation. He received bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Pennsylvania State University (Penn State).