True Leadership
New and retiring NCBA presidents express optimism for the future at Annual Membership Meeting.

SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS (Feb. 5, 2005) — At the beginning of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) meeting, Clint Peck from Beef magazine recognized former NCBA president Jan Lyons with the 2004 Trailblazer Award. He described her as “someone who absolutely cannot receive enough recognition from beef cattle producers across the United States,” and said that in a year of many tough challenges, she performed very well.

Lyons accepted the award, she said, on behalf of the entire beef industry. “Nothing great is ever accomplished alone,” she said, noting that a team of cattlemen from across the country worked together to handle recent controversies.

“We had an industry that was coordinated, unified and took our message to the country,” she said. However, “our work is not done. We still have a lot ahead of us.”

The regional winners of the Environmental Stewardship Award were recognized. Winning the national title was the Florida-based Williamson Cattle Co. Frank “Sonny” and Wes Williamson accepted the award as a video was shown of their Okeechobee ranch and orchard. Formed in the 1940s, Williamson Cattle Co. focuses on protecting the water, wetland and lakes running through its property. Lyons thanked these cattlemen for showing the world how farmers and ranchers are truly stewards of the land.

Jim McAdams, the new NCBA president, introduced Terry Stokes, who spoke about Lyons’ accomplishments for the entire cattle industry throughout 2004. Receiving a standing ovation from the crowd, Lyons introduced and thanked her family members for their support, then stressed the importance of producers working together to fulfill their goals. “With challenges come many opportunities,” she said. “NCBA has met the challenges.”

McAdams then recognized his own family and said he couldn’t hope for better people to be with on his journey as NCBA president. He spoke about the challenges facing the beef industry. “We’re on a pretty tough trail … and we’re going to need more help,” he said. “We’re all going to have to cowboy up.”

He encouraged trust and faith in his fellow cattlemen and stressed the importance of building consumer demand and holding down costs to make beef production profitable for all involved. He also expressed his belief and commitment to NCBA as an organization dedicated to the democratic process, free enterprise and limited government. Finally, he said, only everyone working together can achieve results. “If we’ll cowboy up together, nothing will keep us from success.”

— by Brooke Byrd, assistant editor, Angus Productions Inc.
© Copyright 2005 Angus Productions Inc.

Editor’s Note: This article was written under contract or by staff of Angus Productions Inc. (API), which claims copyright to this article. It may not be published or distributed without the express permission of Angus Productions Inc. To request reprint permission and guidelines, contact Shauna Rose Hermel, editor, at (816) 383-5270 or shermel@angusjournal.com.