Steve Hanson (left) and Jerry Effertz will lead the Federation of State Beef Councils in 2016.
Hanson and his wife, Susan, operate a family farm and ranch in southwest Nebraska with their son, Nick, the fifth generation on the farm, feeding out calves they raise with grain grown on their operation. Hanson has been very active in both state and national industry organizations, serving on the checkoff’s Freedom to Operate Committee, Global Growth Committee and Evaluation Committee. He has served as the chairman of the Nebraska Beef Council, and on numerous local church and school boards. Hanson had previously served as the Federation’s vice chairman.
Effertz and his wife, Norma, operate Black Butte Acres Limousin Ranch, raising seedstock Limousin cattle and backgrounding feeder calves. To educate people about the cattle business and stewardship of the land, they also operate Black Butte Adventures, which includes hiking and biking trails as well as farm tours. Effertz, the third generation of his family to own and operate their farm and ranch, also served in leadership positions in state and national beef industry organizations, including the North Dakota Beef Commission, U.S. Meat Export Federation, and several beef checkoff committees.
As chairman of the Federation, Hanson will serve as vice chair of the Beef Promotion Operating Committee (BPOC), which funds beef checkoff projects at the national level. Effertz will also serve on that committee. This will be the fifth year each has served on the BPOC. Approval of BPOC-approved projects and budgets is required by the Cattlemen’s Beef Board and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
In addition to Hanson and Effertz, other Federation members of the BPOC for 2016 are Austin Brown III (Texas), Brent Buckley (Hawaii), Clay Burtrum (Oklahoma), Dawn Caldwell (Nebraska), Gary Deering (South Dakota), Barb Downey (Kansas), Scott McGregor (Iowa) and Kristin Larson (Montana). The CBB also appoints 10 members to the BPOC.
Photos from the Convention: 2016 Cattle Industry Convention Photo Album
