INDIANAPOLIS – At the Indiana Beef Cattle Association (IBCA) Annual Membership Meeting on Jan. 18, 2025, at the Embassy Suites in Noblesville, the association’s membership elected officers for 2025-2026 year. The new officers selected by the membership included: 

President - Keegan Poe, of Franklin; President-Elect - Dr. David Dixon, of Rensselaer; Vice President - Dr. Ron Lemenager, of Lafayette; Treasurer - Andrew Stewart, of Greensburg; and I

Immediate Past President - Kelley Sheiss, of Larwill.

Prior to the annual meeting, IBCA hosted area meetings around the state. Three of those meetings included elections for area directors to represent those areas on the IBCA/IBC board of directors. The beef producers elected to represent their respective areas include: Area 3 Director - Austin Egloff, of Lincoln City; Area 9 Director - Ellie Schlipf, of Waynetown; and Area 10 Director - Katie Lechlitner, of Syracuse.

Additionally, Poe announced additional board members who would be filling two-year-long presidential appointed positions on the IBCA/IBC board, representing different IBCA standing committees or industry segment representatives. Those presidential appointments include: Membership Committee Chair - Tim Schwab, of Batesville; Convention Committee Chair, Jim Herr, of Arcadia; Cattlemen’s Club Committee Chair - Roby Webster, of Crawfordsville; Purdue Animal Sciences Representative - Dr. Nick Minton, of Bedford; Processing Segment Representative - Steve Beutler, of West Lafayette; Farm Bureau Representative - Trevor Craig, of Bedford; and Veal Industry Representative - Braydin Hiple, of Huntington.

These newly elected and appointed directors will join the returning directors to make up the 2024-2025 IBCA/IBC board of directors. For more information about the board or to get a complete listing of the IBCA board of directors, visit www.indianabeef.org or contact the IBCA office at 317-293-2333.

On Jan. 17, IBCA members gathered for the association’s annual convention. During the convention, members heard from multiple guest speakers on issues pertaining to the beef industry. To kick off the event, members attended the annual awards dinner and banquet to celebrate this year’s award winners.

The Robert C. Peterson Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Virginia Davis, of Franklin, Ind. Her family’s farm, Webbland’s Polled Shorthorns, raised shorthorn cattle and she developed a passion for the Shorthorn breed. Her farm was deeded in 1856 and has been in her family for generations. Davis was a founding member of the Shelby County Cattlemen’s Association. She was also the first female president of the IBCA. Among many other achievements, Davis has certainly been a trailblazer and major influence in the beef industry and the state of Indiana.

The IBCA Outstanding Cattleman Award was presented to Jill Duncan, of Able Acres Farm in Wingate, Ind. Duncan holds many titles for Able Acres Farms including bookkeeper, marketer and herd manager. She effortlessly manages all these tasks and responsibilities while giving unselfishly of her time and talent in multiple ways to the Indiana Beef Cattle Association and Indiana Junior Beef Cattle Association.

The IBCA Outstanding Young Cattleman Award was presented to Cody Gardner, the co-owner and manager of Southfork Cattle Company in Paoli, Ind. Gardner is an enthusiastic learner and plays a vital role in the operation. His list of duties and improvements helps serve his customers in more ways than one. In 2024, he marketed over 1400 head of cattle for his customers through Superior Livestock.

The first IBCA Friend of the Beef Industry Award was presented to American Dairy Association of Indiana. This year saw the beginning of a partnership between IBCA and ADAI at the Indiana State Fair. The “Hoosier Cowboy” combined one of our ribeyes and ADAI’s pepperjack and sourdough grilled cheese. The new sandwich was a hit and even got an online mention from Caitlyn Clark after she tried one on a visit to the fair.

Our second IBCA Friend of the Beef Industry Award was presented to Dr. Bret Marsh. He recently completed 30 years of service as the Indiana State Veterinarian, with a total of 40 years of public service at the Board of Animal Health. As the state’s veterinarian, he led initiatives in biosecurity, animal disease traceability and disaster preparedness, gaining national recognition for his expertise and research on foreign animal diseases. Here in the state, Marsh was instrumental in developing the current disease traceability system we have in place, including Premises Registration and Electronic Identification, to safeguard our cattle industry. He is a tireless advocate for animal agriculture in Indiana and understands the issue of the veterinary shortage that many areas of Indiana are experiencing and is actively working on plans to address those needs in his new role. Marsh is one of the greatest friends that the Indiana beef industry has had over the last 30 years.

To see a complete list of past award winners, visit www.indianabeef.org.