July 25, 2014
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
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Angus Selects the Next Youth Breed Ambassador
Arkansas’ Emma Jumper to serve the business breed for the upcoming year
The National Junior Angus Association (NJAA) announces Emma Jumper, Paragould, Ark., as the 2014-2015 Angus Ambassador, serving a one-year term as a spokesperson for the organization’s nearly 6,000 members at cattle industry events across the United States and Canada.
“As the American Angus Association, we are known as the business breed for a purpose,” Jumper says. “We lead this country, and the world, in providing one of the most stable and safe food supplies. But it’s not just about stopping where we are at and being content, it’s about growing and keeping on for the future.”
Jumper, a junior at Mississippi State University double majoring in business administration and foreign language, was named the new Angus Ambassador during a competition held July 24 at the American Angus Association® headquarters in Saint Joseph, Mo. Joining her in the group of top finalists were Esther McCabe, Elk City, Kan., and Will Pohlman, Prairie Grove, Ark.
“The caliber of applicants in our Angus Ambassador program are second to none,” says Jaclyn Upperman, Association director of events and education. “It’s tremendous to see such dedicated and passionate youth who are looking forward to a future promoting our breed and the entire beef industry.”
A former National Beef Ambassador, Jumper’s involvement in the beef business runs deep. She and her family operate Rock Creek Angus Ranch in northeast Arkansas, where Jumper says she experienced some of her most important life lessons. Today, they service the mid-Southern region with registered herd sires, replacement heifers and show cattle.
“Traveling around my state talking about agriculture and about the Angus industry especially in the Delta, where I live, is an experience that I greatly value,” Jumper says. “So many people know what it’s like to see cotton and corn and rice being raised, but they are very unsure what it’s like to be a rancher. And so, taking that to the next level and being able to do that nationally is very exciting.”
To be considered for the Angus Ambassador position, earlier this spring, each junior member submitted a cover letter, résumé and two essay responses. The top candidates were invited to the Association where they gave a 3-5 minute presentation with 5 minutes of questions that followed.
Jumper’s presentation was titled, “Playing the offense: Operating amid misconceptions in an information-driven society.” She stressed the importance of creating transparency between food production and consumption, and the growing need to share with consumers why farming and ranching is a valued way of life for individuals and families worldwide.
“The beef story is really unique to everyone, and for me, it’s about passion and purpose. Those two things go hand-in-hand,” Jumper says. “I’m very passionate about agriculture, and I want the consumer to know that. I encourage my fellow producers to get in there and create these lines of communications with consumers.”
Judging this year’s competition were John Butler, chief executive officer of Beef Marketing Group; Crystal Albers, director of communications for Angus Productions Inc.; Jason Kenyon, Association director of information systems; Ginette Kurtz, Association director of commercial programs; and John Pfeiffer, Association Board Director.
Funded by the Angus Foundation, the Angus Ambassador will represent the breed at industry events throughout the United States and Canada, including the Angus Means Business National Convention and Trade Show in Kansas City, Mo.; a Certified Angus Beef ® Building Blocks Seminar in Wooster, Ohio; the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Cattle Industry Annual Convention in San Antonio, Texas; the Beef Improvement Federation Annual Research Symposium and Convention; and the Guiding Outstanding Angus Leaders (GOAL) Conference in Canada.
For more information about the NJAA or the Ambassador program visit www.ANGUS.org.
ANGUS MEANS BUSINESS. Explore how the Angus breed impacts every sector of the cattle business – from the feedlot to the meatcase – during the 2014 Angus Means Business National Convention and Trade Show. Hosted by the American Angus Association, the event takes place Nov. 4-6 at the KCI Expo Center in Kansas City, Mo.
Participants will hear from top-flight speakers, conduct Association business, visit the trade show featuring allied industry partners and have the opportunity to attend the Angus University.
The American Angus Association is the nation’s largest beef breed organization, serving more than 25,000 members across the United States, Canada and several other countries. For more information about Angus cattle and the 2014 convention, visit www.ANGUS.org.
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