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Angus veteran Jim Shirley announced
his retirement from the American Angus Association®, effective
July 31. “He’s been a
great asset to this organization for 24 years,” said American
Angus Association CEO Bryce Schumann. “We want to recognize and
applaud that service. We’re going to miss him. I’m going to miss
him.”
Shirley currently serves as vice
president of industry relations and director of activities. In
that position he has overseen administration of activities,
junior activities, industry and member communications, and the
regional manager field team. He has played a major role in the
development of AngusSource® as a USDA Process-Verified Program (PVP)
and in furthering member communications through vehicles such as
the Outreach Seminars and Cattlemen’s Boot Camps.
The Southern Iowa native was
promoted to his current position in May 2004 after serving 19
years as a regional manager for Minnesota, Nebraska and South
Dakota. He was honored with the Top Livestock Marketeer Award by
his peers at the 2001 National Western Stock Show in Denver.
Shirley says he has enjoyed
working with Angus members and assisting in the progress they
have made during his tenure, noting a marked increase in the
quality and depth of quality in the breed that is available
today.
“You used to see a few good
Angus bulls that could combine phenotype with the data to back
it up,” he says. “Today you can find those really good Angus
cattle all over.”
He attributes that fact to
members’ willingness to embrace and adopt new tools. “Angus
breeders have always been accepting of technology, and they
weren’t afraid to use data as the driving force in their
selection programs,” he explains.
A true servant of the
membership, Shirley says he’ll miss that interaction the most as
he leaves to explore other opportunities that will afford him
time to become more involved with family and in managing his
home farm near Hamburg, Iowa. Jim and his wife, Linda, have two
grown children, son Matthew and daughter Megan Jewett, and a new
granddaughter, Madalyn Jewett.
Before joining the Association
field staff, Shirley was an advertising salesman and events
reporter for the Farm and Ranch Guide. He also served as the
executive secretary for the American Shorthorn Association and
as an area coordinator for the American Polled Hereford
Association. Shirley obtained his bachelor’s degree from
Oklahoma State University and attended graduate school at New
Mexico State University.
The American Angus Association
is the world’s largest beef breed organization, with
headquarters in Saint Joseph, Mo. The not-for-profit company and
its subsidiaries, Certified Angus Beef LLC, Angus Productions
Inc., and Angus Genetics Inc., and its affiliate, the Angus
Foundation, provide programs and services for its members and
their customers, while promoting the Angus breed and supporting
education, youth and research. For more information about the
Association, go to www.angus.org.
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