The U.S. Department of Agriculture appointed 26 members, including several from Texas, to serve on the Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion and Research Board.

Twenty-five members will serve three-year terms and one member will serve a one-year term. The term of board members appointed to three-year terms start February 2024 and end February 2027.

Texans appointed to the board include former Texas Farm Bureau District 1 State Director Pat McDowell of Shamrock.

Other Texans appointed to the board include:

  • JoJo Carrales of Flatonia
  • Ryan Moorhouse of Amarillo
  • Mark Sustaire of Winnsboro

Other newly appointed members are:

  • Arkansas – Caleb Plyler, Hope, Ark.
  • Colorado – Sallie R. Miller, Briggsdale, Colo.
  • Florida – Sarah K. Childs, Lake Placid, Fla.
  • Idaho – Tucker Shaw, Caldwell, Idaho, and Gwenna R. Prescott, Carey, Idaho
  • Kansas – Marisa Kleysteuber, Garden City, Kan., and Jacquelyne Renae Leffler, Americus, Kan.
  • Kentucky – Andy Bishop, Cox’s Creek, Ky.
  • Missouri – Kalena Bruce, Stockton, Mo.
  • Montana – Verna J. Billedeaux, Browning, Mont.
  • Nebraska – Gina M. Hudson, Belvidere, Neb., Bree A. DeNaeyer, Seneca, Neb., and Don V. Cain, Jr., D.V.M., M.S., Broken Bow, Neb.
  • North Dakota – Jason Schmidt, Medina, N.D.
  • Oklahoma – Cheryl DeVuyst, Morrison, Okla., and Gaye Pfeiffer, Mulhall, Okla.
  • South Dakota – David O. Uhrig, Hermosa, S.D.
  • Southwest Unit – Melissa Daniels, Nicasio, Calif.
  • Importer Unit – Doug McNicholl, Washington, D.C., Kimberly A. D’Anella, Wenonah, N.J., Andrew Banchi, Trevor, Wis., and Matthew Allan, Washington, D.C. (1-year term)

The board is authorized by the Beef Promotion and Research Act of 1985 and is composed of 99 members representing 34 states and 5 units. Members must be beef producers or importers of beef and beef products nominated by certified producer organizations.

Since 1966, Congress has authorized the development of industry-funded research and promotion boards to provide a framework for agricultural industries to pool their resources and combine efforts to develop new markets, strengthen existing markets and conduct important research and promotion activities. USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service provides oversight of 22 boards, paid for by industry assessments, which helps ensure fiscal accountability and program integrity.

More information about the board is available on the Cattlemen’s Beef Board webpage.