Industry Leaders

  • Dr. Mark Johnson is a Professor in the department of Animal and Food Science at Oklahoma State University where he held the Totusek Endowed Chair of Animal Science from 2009 to 2014. He has served as the Supervisor of the OSU Purebred Beef Cattle Center since 1992.

    Mark also coached the OSU Livestock Judging Team from 1992 to 2013. The OSU team was highly successful during his tenure as coach, finishing as either Champion or Reserve Champion team in 70% of their contests over 21 years. He earned the “National Coach of the Year” award seven times, coached six teams that won the American Royal and four National Champion teams. Mark, his wife Brenda and two daughters Sydney and Charley, live on a ranch near Orlando, Oklahoma where they operate J&J Cattle Company.

  • Derrell Peel holds the Charles Breedlove Professorship of Agribusiness in the Department of Agricultural Economics at Oklahoma State University. He is known for his expertise in livestock and meat marketing and policy analysis. He has also served as the Extension Livestock Marketing Specialist since 1989. His extension programs focus on livestock market situations and outlook and marketing/risk management education for producers. Peel has published numerous articles and reports on these topics and is a sought-after speaker and consultant in the industry. He was recently awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award from SAEA in 2017 and the Excellence in Extension from the Southern Region from APLU in 2015. His program and expertise areas consist of: Livestock Market Analysis and Outlook; Livestock Marketing Education and Risk Management; Economics of Stocker Cattle Production and Marketing; International Cattle and Beef Trade; Mexican Cattle and Beef Industry; NAFTA Cattle and Beef trade Issues.

  • Raised on a farm and equipped with a veterinary degree, Dr. David Faber took his passion for improving livestock and founded Trans Ova Genetics in 1980 — in his garage, without capital or clients. As an industry pioneer, Faber had to personally develop the company’s foundation of equipment and techniques. Today, Sioux Center, Iowabased Trans Ova Genetics is the global leader in animal reproductive technology, with 16 locations nationally and more than 170 employees. As president, Faber has grown the company by applying his technology to provide valuable industry services, including embryo collection and transfer, in vitro fertilization, sexed semen and cloning technologies. Additionally, these technologies have inspired joint ventures, including Hematech, which produces antibodies in cows, and Exemplar Genetics, which produces genetically engineered pigs as medical models. The company continues to find new applications for its various technologies, making its potential for growth limitless. But from the start, Trans Ova Genetics has enabled farmers to yield increased numbers of livestock, which speaks to Faber’s ultimate goal: increasing animal protein production to sustain the world’s ever-growing population and to do so in an environmentally friendly, sustainable way. Faber’s other focus is on developing the next generation of leaders in the industry. In an effort to combat the national decline in students entering related fields as well as the loss of educational programs relating to animal biotechnology, Trans Ova Genetics gives more than 20 scholarships to students in the animal reproduction, veterinarian and biotechnology fields.

  • Mark McCully, current CEO of the American Angus Association, brings 27 years of experience to the table, most recently serving as vice president of production for CAB. In his role, Mark drove supply chain innovation for the brand and helped develop and implement best management practices with cattlemen to increase brand acceptance rates. In addition, Mark led global production initiatives, streamlining processes for improved product quality, and served in many industry leadership positions. McCully previously served as director of packing before developing and coordinating a regional sales team, and in 2005, he transitioned to supply development and production. Additionally, he worked for Southern States Cooperative where he managed the beef improvement program and value-added feeder cattle marketing programs for cattlemen within a 22-state region. He also served as an intercollegiate livestock judging team coach, taught livestock evaluation classes and coordinated the animal science department undergraduate internship program at Michigan State University before joining Southern States.

    He graduated with his Associate’s Degree from Lake Land College, Bachelor of Science degree from Western Illinois University and conducted master’s research in ruminant nutrition and feedlot management at Michigan State University.

  • Jack started with the American Hereford Association in 2003 and currently serves as the executive vice-president. His initial role was Chief Operations Officer and Director of Breed Improvement.

    Jack received his bachelor of science degree in Agriculture Economics from Purdue University, and an Associates of Science degree from Black Hawk College, East Campus. Jack and his wife Mary Ann have two grown sons and together with their sons, they operate Ward Brothers Livestock.

    Jack has served on various boards and advisory committees including the Beef Improvement Federation board, Germ-Plasm preservation committee, Ultrasound Guidelines Council and National Beef Cattle Evaluation advisory committee. Additionally, he is a member of the American Royal board of directors. Ward has traveled around the United States and into 7 foreign countries to judge livestock shows and present lectures on beef cattle genetic improvement.

  • Jason Rowntree is a professor of Animal Science at Michigan State University where he holds the Charles Stewart Mott Distinguished Professorship for Sustainable Agriculture. He also serves as the Director of MSU’s Center for Regenerative Agriculture. Rowntree’s research focus is identifying the metrics and management that reflect ecological improvement in grazing land systems. He conducts this work at Lake City AgBio Research Center where he also maintains coordinator responsibilities. Since arriving to MSU in 2009, Rowntree has given over 250 talks throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, Saudi Arabia, Africa and New Zealand. He has also worked to co-develop, with the Savory Institute, an Ecological Outcome Verification that is now being used on over 2 M acres of grasslands on every continent except Antarctica. The EOV has also been branded for products marketed by General Mills, Applegate, Timberland and many others. He is the project director of a new $19.2 M funded project entitled, “Metrics, Management, and Monitoring: An Investigation of Pasture and Rangeland Soil Health and its Drivers”. His work in beef sustainability has been featured in the movie Sacred Cow, The Washington Post, New York Times, Forbes and many other popular media publications.

  • Dr. Tad Sonstegard serves as the Chief Executive Officer of Acceligen, overseeing the commercialization of their groundbreaking genetic improvement breeding platform for food animals that combines genomics, gene editing, and advanced cell culture and reproductive methods. Under Dr. Sonstegard’s leadership, Acceligen has moved from making proof-of-concept animals to achieving the first commercial use approvals in multiple countries with their innovative slick Angus product line. Currently, Acceligen’s focus lies in developing climate-smart food animals, with flagship products like heat and disease-tolerant cattle designed to enhance efficiency and revenues for tropical farm operations. Prior to his role at Acceligen, Dr. Sonstegard directed a distinguished livestock molecular genetics research program at the USDA in Beltsville, MD. His team pioneered the first commercial agricultural-based SNP tool in 2007, enabling genomic selection in cattle breeding. Recognized with multiple tech transfer awards, this work transformed genetic improvement for progressive animal breeders and genetic companies. Dr. Sonstegard boasts a prolific publication record, with over 240 peer-reviewed manuscripts, showcasing impactful outcomes in livestock genetics. His academic journey began at Iowa State University for his undergraduate degree, followed by a Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota after leaving his family’s Red Angus cattle operation in West Central Minnesota.

  • Banks Baker has a diverse work experience with a focus on sustainability in the agriculture industry. Banks is currently the Global Director of Product Sustainability at the Pig Improvement Company (PIC) - North America, where they are responsible for ensuring sustainable practices across their product line. Prior to this, they worked as the Director of New Product Marketing at PIC.

    From 2017 to 2022, Banks worked at McDonald's as the Manager of Animal Welfare and Agriculture in the Supply Chain Sustainability department. In this role, they led sustainability efforts for protein categories such as beef, chicken, pork, egg, and dairy. Banks also managed the agriculture technology initiatives and served as the US Market representative for McDonald's Global Antibiotic Policies. Additionally, they were responsible for the Program Manager for McDonald's US Flagship Farmers Program, which focused on sharing best practices within the industry and McDonald's supply chain.

    In 2012, Banks completed their Master's Degree in Agriculture specializing in Integrated Resource Management at Colorado State University, where they studied Animal Sciences, Agricultural Economics, and Natural Resources. Banks also co-founded Aspen Farms Land Management during this time.

    Recently, Banks attended the University of Notre Dame - Mendoza College of Business from 2016 to 2019. They acquired an Executive Master of Nonprofit Administration (EMNA) degree.

  • Dr. Bob Weaber currently serves as Professor and Head of the Eastern Kansas Research and Extension Centers at Kansas State University. Weaber initially joined the faculty of the Department of Animal Sciences and Industry at Kansas State University in August of 2011 as Cow-Calf Extension Specialist. He served on the faculty management team for K-State’s Beef Cattle Institute and as the faculty coordinator of K-State’s Purebred Beef Unit. Dr. Weaber serves as the Executive Director of the Beef Improvement Federation.

    The focus of his extension and research programs has been to broaden the availability, use and understanding of genetic selection tools as well as performance data collection schemes implemented by cattle producers.

    Weaber grew up on a cow-calf operation in southern Colorado and has extensive experience in the cow-calf and seedstock sectors. He earned a BS (Animal Science) and Master of Agriculture degree in the Beef Industry Leadership Program at Colorado State University and Ph.D. from Cornell University in the Animal Breeding and Genetics.

  • Hugh Aljoe serves as the director of ranches, outreach and partnerships for Noble Research Institute. In this role, he oversees the 13,500 acres of Noble ranches as well as outreach and partnership efforts with allied industries and organizations. He also serves as a subject matter expert in the areas of pasture and range stewardship and adaptive grazing management. Aljoe joined Noble Research Institute in 1995.

    He has spoken on topics related to the intentional management of ranches, proper land stewardship and soil health of grazing lands, and ranch sustainability and regenerative ranching at national, regional and state conferences, including Cattlemen’s College at the Cattle Industry Convention and NCBA Trade Show. Aljoe currently serves on the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Environmental Stewardship Award Program selection committee, U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef board of directors and the goals and targets tracking working group and outreach working group, and the Foundation for Food and Agricultural Research International Consortium for Antimicrobial Stewardship in Agriculture executive committee.

    Before coming to Noble Research Institute in 1995, Aljoe was the ranch manager for Belvedere Land & Cattle Corp., a 3,900-acre, 1,500-head purebred and commercial cow-calf operation in East Texas that utilized adaptive multi-paddock grazing.

    Aljoe attended Texas A&M University where he received his bachelor’s degree in animal science and master’s degree in range science with a focus on grazing management.

  • Kelli Retallick-Riley has long-admired black Angus cows. Her obsession first formed growing up on her family’s cow/calf operation in Southwest Wisconsin where she made her show ring debut at the ripe age of four. Over time her interest in improving these stock stretched beyond the show ring. She switched tactics from improving cattle from the outside in, to the inside out. Equipping breeders with genetic tools to better select and mate their herds is her primary focus today. As the President of AGI, a fully owned subsidiary of the American Angus Association, she can continue to support this great industry. In her role, she drives the mission and guides the research and application of genetic tools for Angus breeders and users of Angus genetics. Retallick-Riley obtained a bachelor’s degree in animal science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, a master’s degree in Animal Breeding and Genetics at Kansas State University and is working towards a PhD in the same field at KSU.

  • Jim Moore is the Owner/ Operator Moore Cattle Company located in Charleston, Arkansas. He is a 1985 graduate of the University of Arkansas where he received his bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Business.

    Moore Cattle Company is a third generation commercial cow/calf ranch that retains ownership in their calves. The calves are marketed on a grid base marketing system. Moore was a 2015 Panelist for the American Angus Convention covering 10 lessons in feeding cattle, 2017 Certified Angus Beef Commitment to Excellence Award Commercial Producer, 2021 Finalist for Beef Improvement Federation Commercial Producer of The Year, and 2021 Panelist for the American Angus Convention DNA testing of Replacement Heifers.

  • Hodgen, 45, brings 25 years of executive leadership and investment management experience in the agribusiness and food sectors to the role. Before joining King Ranch, Hodgen spent six years as Managing Director at AMERRA Capital Management, where the Private Equity team under his leadership invested in six agribusiness and aquaculture platform companies and he served on the Board of Directors for two of those investments.

    Prior to AMERRA, he served as Senior Vice President of J.D. Heiskell & Co., a 135 year-old family-owned company focused on livestock feed manufacturing, domestic and international grain trading and logistics as well as biofuels production. He began his career within the Animal Nutrition Division management team of Cargill, Inc.

    Hodgen holds a B.S. in Animal Science from Oklahoma State University and an MBA in Finance from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He is a graduate of the California Ag Leadership Program (Class 36) and previously served as a Director of the National Grain and Feed Association.

  • Alison Van Eenennaam is a Distinguished Professor of Cooperative Extension in the field of Animal Genomics and Biotechnology in the Department of Animal Science at the University of California, Davis where she has been on faculty for over 20 years. Her extension program focuses on the use of animal genomics and biotechnology in livestock production systems. She has a multifaceted research program that includes uses of DNA information and biotechnologies in beef cattle production systems, and the development of genome editing approaches for cattle and sheep. Dr. Van Eenennaam was the recipient of the Council for Agricultural Science and Technology 2014 Borlaug Communication Award, and the American Society of Animal Science 2019 Rockefeller Prentice Award in Animal Breeding and Genetics. She received a Bachelor of Agricultural Science from the University of Melbourne, and both an MS in Animal Science, and a PhD in Genetics from UC Davis. She served as a past member of the USDA’s National Advisory Committee on Biotechnology & 21 st Century Agriculture, a temporary voting member on the FDA’s AquAdvantage Genetically-Engineered Salmon Veterinary Medicine Advisory Committee, and was on the United States NASEM study committee for “Science Breakthroughs 2030: A Strategy for Food and Agricultural Research”.

  • Allison Rivera is the Executive Director of Government Affairs for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. She is a native North Carolinian who moved to D.C. to work on policy and politics. She has gained years of experience in agriculture, defense, foreign affairs, trade, transportation, natural resources, and energy policy.

    Before coming to NCBA, Allison spent nine years on Capitol Hill working for four different Members of Congress from North Carolina to Northern California.

    At NCBA, she leads the Ag and Food Policy and Cattle Health team with a focus on the Farm Bill, animal health, transportation, and immigration and labor policies.

    She is a graduate of The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and holds degrees in Political Science and International Studies, and a graduate of the U.S. Air Force’s Air Command and Staff College. She is also a proud mom to her four-year-old, Giovanna, and her one year old, Joseph.

  • Dr. Scott Greiner is a Professor and Extension Animal Scientist in the School of Animal Sciences at Virginia Tech. Dr. Greiner was raised on a diversified livestock farm in Eastern Iowa, and attended Iowa State University where he earned a B.S. in Animal Science. His graduate studies included an M.S. from Michigan State University and a Ph.D. from Iowa State. His graduate work at ISU was fundamental to the incorporation of ultrasound as a genetic improvement tool in beef cattle. In 1998, Greiner joined the faculty at Virginia Tech and now serves at Extension Department Leader as well as chair of the interdisciplinary college Animal Production Program Team. As an Extension Animal Scientist, he designs and delivers educational programs in beef cattle and sheep to adults and youth, and conducts applied research. This objective is accomplished by providing research-based education to livestock producers, Extension agents, and allied industry professionals. Specific responsibilities include design and delivery of educational programs and materials related to beef and sheep genetics and associated production and marketing issues, providing leadership for statewide programs in beef cattle and sheep; and maintaining strong working relationships with the beef and sheep industries and allied organizations. His applied research program compliments these areas of extension focus. Greiner also teaches an Advanced Livestock Enterprise course, provides numerous guest lectures in livestock production/management topics, and advises graduate and undergraduate students. He resides outside Christiansburg, VA. Along with his wife Lori and daughters Kaylee and Leah, the family is very involved in 4-H youth livestock activities. Greiner has judged national, state, and local junior livestock shows in over 35 states as well as internationally, and since 2006 has been Superintendent of the National Collegiate Livestock Judging Contest.

  • John Maddux is the fourth-generation manager of the family ranch operations, which includes 45,000 deeded and leased acres, 2,500 mother cows, and 6,000 yearlings. In addition to his daily ranch duties, he is a past member of the Nebraska Grazing Lands Coalition; the Nebraska Investment Council, which is responsible for managing the state’s 9 Billion in pension assets; and served on the Board of Directors of Cattle-Fax and State Bank. Prior to returning to the ranch, John was employed by Goldman Sachs of New York in Fixed Income Sales and Trading, and prior to that worked for Elanco selling herbicides. He has an undergraduate degree in Animal Science from the University of Nebraska and an MBA in Finance from the University of Chicago. John is married to his wife Julia, with two boys Taylor and Thomas.

  • Shane Bedwell is the chief operating officer and director of breed improvement at the American Hereford Association (AHA), headquartered in Kansas City, Mo.

    Through his position with the AHA, Bedwell oversees the Association’s genetic evaluation and National Reference Sire Program. He also works to promote the breed through a variety of educational events.

    Prior to joining the AHA, Shane was a professor and livestock judging coach at Colorado State University for 8 years.

    Bedwell received his associate’s degree in animal science from Butler County Community College and his Bachelors degree in Animal Science and Industry from Kansas State. He then went on to complete his Masters in Beef Cattle Nutrition at the University of Illinois.

    Bedwell grew up on a cow-calf and stocker ranch near Medicine Lodge, Kansas. He spent much of his time at the sale barn in Medicine Lodge, ran by his grandfather, where he developed the knowledge of the cattle marketing business. He is still an active part of the family’s 350-head operation today. Bedwell resides in Holt, Mo., with his wife, Lacey, and their two children, Cealy and Chisum.

  • Tom Brink is the founder and owner of Top Dollar Angus, Inc. Brink is well known throughout the U.S. beef industry, and has earned a reputation as one of the foremost experts on beef production and supply chain economics. He spent 14 years in the cattle feeding business in various leadership positions at JBS Five Rivers Cattle Feeding and ContiBeef, one of its predecessor companies.

    From 2008 through 2013, Brink was President and COO of J & F Oklahoma Holdings, Inc., the cattle ownership sister company to Five Rivers. From 2003 through 2013, he was in charge of feeder cattle procurement and risk management for a growing cattle feeding business that eventually procured and marketed over 1.6 million head per year. He has conducted extensive research on the factors that create valuable cattle both in the feedyard and from a carcass standpoint, and has been a featured speaker throughout the nation on these and other beef industry topics. Today, he serves as the Chief Executive Officer of the Red Angus Association of America.

    Brink grew up in Kansas with a cow-calf background and is a graduate of Kansas State University with degrees in Animal Science and Agricultural Economics.

  • Cara Gerken is a Senior Program Analyst for Where Food Comes From, Inc. (WFCF), the leading on-farm third-party verification and certification company in North America. WFCF helps tens of thousands of food producers and brands across all types of commodities and products meet specific market needs. These include programs like the WFCF CARE Certified sustainability standards, international export requirements, specific brand standards, USDA Organic, SQF, Grassfed and many more.

    Before joining WFCF, Gerken served as a Livestock and Meat Marketing Specialist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. While there, Gerken coordinated Process Verification Programs using ISO 9000 standards from its inception and developed the Department’s PVP administration policy.

    Today, as Senior Program Analyst for WFCF, Gerken is responsible for developing ISO based quality management systems across protein sources (e.g., beef, pork, market broilers and turkeys.) Gerken was instrumental in the creation of WFCF’s Quality System Assessments (QSA) and Document Management Systems that offer industry a simplified way to build and maintain QSA and Beef Export Verification programs needed to meet international trade requirements with major trading partners such as Japan, Canada and Mexico.  She is also responsible for conducting onsite verification audits across all commodities within the agriculture and food industry.  She brings nearly 30 years of industry experience to WFCF.

    Gerken earned her bachelor’s in animal science from Kansas State University and then went on to earn her Masters in Food Science from Oklahoma State University where she conducted research on consumer perceptions of beef, taught introductory meat science and meats judging classes and co-authored a meat judging textbook.  

    Gerken and her family ranch in Central Oklahoma, raising yearlings and purebred cattle.  

Cattlemen’s Conference has worked to bring together an elite group of industry leaders to lead discussions surrounding crossbreeding, gene editing and industry trends. These professionals work hand-in-hand with the agriculture industry and provide a variety of perspectives on what we consider to be key topics and talking points shaping the future of the cattle industry.