Day 2 of the Annual Holstein Association Meeting
Saturday, June 25th, 2011WORDEN PRESIDENT, BROWN VICE-PRESIDENT AT
HOLSTEIN USA ANNUAL MEETING
Election of national officers and directors highlighted the second day of the Holstein Association USA meeting on Jun. 25 in Richmond, VA. Chuck Worden, Cassville, NY moved up to president after two years as v-p. He was unopposed, while Glen Brown, Coalville, UT, was chosen as vice-president defeating John Kalmey of Kentucky. Both had served two terms as National Director.
With his wife Vanessa and their three sons, Worden milks 220 cows in Central New York, having bred several Gold Medal Dams and Dams of Merit and sold over 100 bulls into AI. During his two terms on the Board he served on several committees and is a former chairman of the Holstein Foundation with nine years on that board. He’s been an executive committee member of the NY Holstein Association. For a time, he owned and operated a large herd in New Mexico on a dry lot dairy where he was an active member and past president of that state association. He’s held leadership positions in a number of local and regional civic and ag organizations.
Glen Brown, a third generation dairyman on the family’s 300-cow dairy, is a Utah State graduate. On the Holstein board he chaired National FAIR and Animal ID Advisory, Milk Marketing and Genetic Advancement committees. He’s a past president of the Utah Holstein Association and has shown at state and national Holstein shows. He spent 15 years in the Utah state legislature and has held leadership posts in civic organizations and his church. He and his wife, Frankie, have two sons and 15 grandchildren.
Jim Burdette, Mercersburg, PA and was reelected without opposition for a second term as National Director. He’s the current chair of the Show Committee. Also returning to the Board as director-at-large is Boyd Schaufelberger, Greenville, IL. Newly elected are Mike Jones, Marshall, IN who defeated Thomas Atherton for director from region 3, and Roy Bussing, Axtell, KS, who ran unopposed as director from region 7.
During the morning meeting, several directors delivered reports as committee chairs. Hank Van Exel, Legislative Affairs Committee, said the Association had been successful in including a supply management mechanism in industry proposals for reform, including the Foundation for the Future program put forward by the National Milk Producers Federation.
Following this report, delegate Paul Buhr, WI, offered the hope that the Association “did not take its eye off the ball” of breed improvement and focus on the helping breeders adjust to the rapid implementation of genomic values. Director Van Exel said he would prefer to talk about cows, genetics and the show ring but that the dairy situation required commitment to reform. CEO John Meyer acknowledged the concern but explained that the Association can and will focus on a number of critical topics simultaneously.
Director Jim Burdette delivered the Show Committee report describing the development of two official judges’ lists… the National Judges List and the Qualified Judges List. Three judging conferences are being held this year and in the future, one will be held annually at which prospective judges much participate and then be validated by the Show Committee. Foreign judges who are to judge officially designated National Shows in the U.S. must participate in this process and be placed on the list.
Director Jonathan Lamb, chair of the Genetic Advancement Committee, reported his group had re-evaluated and reaffirmed the importance of TPI and made adjustments as a follow up to delegate action at last year’s Convention in Minnesota. The focus for the breed needs to be on increasing fertility and in the type arena, focusing on udder composite and feed & leg composite. The rate of increase in stature needs to be slowed, he said. He described adjustments in the TPI formula implemented in April aimed at implementing those goals. He also said that in the face of highly genomic proven foreign bulls, the Top 100 TPI List would require that a bull have at least 10 milking daughters in the U.S.
An international focus on supporting the expansion of dairy in Russia, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Mexico and South America was reported by International Committee Chair Ron Fuhrman, while Kate Geppert as chair of the Junior Advisory Committee described the growth in junior programs and membership. Both of these National Directors are leaving the Board as they complete their second terms.
President Larry Tande delivered the report of the Type Advisory Committee which he chaired. He explained the needed reduction in relationship between stature and final score.
Former National Director John Bierbaum of Minnesota presented the report of the Holstein Foundation and acknowledged with thanks the support of all for the endowment fund raising campaign last year.
National Director Corey Geiger who is also on the Dairy Shrine Board reported on award winners for that group, noting that Holstein breeder Bill Peck Sr of Welcome Stock Farm, Schuylerville, NY will be the dairy breeder recognized at the Dairy Shrine banquet this year on Oct. 6 at World Dairy Expo. He also said that 23 of the 32 dairy youth receiving Shrine scholarships are Holstein Juniors.
A “housekeeping” bylaw change was made without opposition requiring National Director and officer candidates to sign a conflict of interest disclosure form prior to election. The only resolution brought forward was the traditional thanks to the Convention hosts, the Virginia Holstein Association who received a standing ovation of thanks.
The meeting adjourned shortly before noon.
Newly elected officers are President Chuck Worden, left, of Cassville, NY with Vice President Glen Brown of Coalville, UT.
National Directors chosen by the delegates are, from left, President Chuck Worden; Vice President Glen Brown; Jim Burdette, PA (reelected); Roy Buessing, KS; Mike Jones, IN; and Boyd Schaufelberger, IL (reelected).
