July 19, 2024

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

For more information, contact:

Holly Martin, director of communications

816-383-5143

hmartin@angus.org

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Cutline: Newly elected directors for the National Junior Angus board pose alongside second-term directors during the awards ceremony at the 2024 National Junior Angus Show on July 5 in Madison, Wisconsin.

Six new green coats join the National Junior Angus Association Board of Directors

Junior delegates elect new board members at the 2024 National Junior Angus Show.

Sitting ringside, an eight-year-old National Junior Angus Association (NJAA) member attends their first junior nationals. They watch the show intently, taking in the cattle and the judges’ comments.  As the cattle circle the ring, something catches the first-time attendee’s eye, an older junior member helping usher cattle around the ring in a green coat. It sparks a dream for the young member—to one day wear that green coat themselves as a National Junior Angus Board (NJAB) member. 

It’s a story that resonates with many, including newly elected NJAA Board member, Anne Dameron. “At a young age, I was a little more intimidated going to larger shows. That quickly changed when a green coat came up to me,” Dameron recalled. “The board members have never failed to put a smile on my face and encourage me. From the very first time I saw a green jacket; I knew that serving on the NJAA board was something that I wanted in my future.”

  Developing the next generation of industry leaders is a vital component of the NJAA mission. Each year, six junior members are elected to serve on the board, where they further develop their leadership skills and represent Angus youth. The new directors were announced during the awards ceremony at the 2024 National Junior Angus Show on July 5, 2024, in Madison, Wisconsin.

The newly elected board members will serve two years — the first year as directors and the second as officers. The new directors are Catie Collison, Lake City, Iowa; Anne Dameron, Towanda, Illinois; Aba Leibfried, Hazel Green, Wisconsin; Blake Pillars, Martin, Michigan; Bryanna Smith, Russell Springs, Kentucky and Grant Solem, Los Olivos, California. During their term, they will travel the nation, assisting at shows and conferences, supporting junior members during state and national events and helping to advance the NJAA mission.

The new six will join second-term members and newly elected chairman, Mary Wood of Willow Spring, North Carolina and vice chairman, Jonwyn Ayres of Powers, Oregon. The officer team also includes foundation director, Alli Perry, Fayetteville, Tennessee; secretary, Kyli Kraft, Fort Collins, Colorado; events director, Suter Clark, Gretna, Virginia; and education director, Sawyer Styles, Brentford, South Dakota.

“I am extremely excited for the coming year. I am blessed to be a part of an amazing team of dedicated board members to the NJAA. I am most looking forward to working with our group on honoring the Angus breed’s traditions while continuing to innovate new ideas for our junior membership,” said Mary Wood, chairman.

Meet the New Directors

Catie Collison joins the board from Lake City, Iowa. Her desire to be on the NJAB began in 2014 when she began showing Angus cattle. Since then, she has been actively involved in both the state and national associations, holding leadership positions, attending conferences and competing in contests. She will be a junior this fall at Iowa State University majoring in Animal Science on the pre-veterinary track. During her time on the board, Collison hopes to create a friendly and fun environment while also making a professional and positive impression.            

“I decided to run for a director position because I wanted to create a positive impact on the NJAA members,” Collison said. “I hope to be a positive role model for our generation of leaders and help motivate them to achieve their goals.”

Anne Dameron of Towanda, Illinois, grew up with Angus in her blood. She is a fourth-generation Angus breeder. Dameron currently attends the University of Illinois where she is working toward a degree in Animal Science with a concentration in Pre-Med, with the long-term goal of becoming a physician while continuing to be an activist for agriculture in her rural community. She believes that the Angus breed has shaped her into the person she is today and will forever be grateful for the opportunities presented to her. She is looking forward to giving back and helping to create the same opportunities of other NJAA members to grow and develop.

“I couldn’t have asked for a better organization to be raised in. Being a part of the NJAA means being surrounded by individuals who dream big and have great passion,” Dameron said. “You are who you surround yourself with, and the NJAA juniors are the people to be around. I hope to inspire juniors to continue to dream big and work hard.”

Ava Leibfried is a third-generation Angus breeder from Hazel Green, Wisconsin. Leibfried is heavily involved in the Wisconsin Junior Angus Association, National Junior Angus Association and served as the NJAS Junior Chair for the 2024 Showdown in Madtown. Her involvement in the association has inspired a lifelong passion for agriculture. She currently studies Agricultural Business at Iowa State University. After graduation, her “dream job,” is to work in agricultural marketing getting to promote producers’ missions.

  She hopes to foster an environment where every member can discover their potential and strive to be the best version of themselves.

“I am committed to providing opportunities to junior members to excel in their personal and leadership development,” Leibfried said. “Whether that is exposing a member to a new contest at junior nationals or encouraging them to participate in leadership roles within their state association.”

Blake Pillars hails from Martin, Michigan. He brings a wealth of energy and excitement to the board. He grew up on a farm in west central Michigan milking cows, raising forage crops and showing Angus cattle. At the age of nine, he bought his first Angus cow and began his show career. Pillars just completed his freshman year at Northern Oklahoma College where he is majoring in Agriculture Business and competes on the collegiate livestock judging team.

“I first decided I wanted to run for the board after I attended my first LEAD conference in Indianapolis,” Pillars said. “The reason I wanted to run for the board is simply for the juniors. I want to make an impact and have juniors know that whether I am in a green coat or not, they can always come up and say hi to me.”  

Bryanna Smith of Russell Springs, Kentucky, is a fifth-generation Angus breeder. Her childhood was spent checking cows with her dad and working in the show barn with her brother. Smith is currently dual majoring in Agricultural Economics and Agricultural Business at the University of Kentucky.

Smith is excited to join this talented group of leaders and serve as an ambassador for the Angus breed.

“Since the age of 9, I have witnessed first-hand the impact the green coats have on the junior membership, from their willingness to serve, to their work ethic and as ambassadors for the breed,” Smith said. “As a director, I will continue to make a positive impact on reaching the junior membership by leading by example, encouraging involvement.”

Grant Solem grew up in the Santa Ynez Valley of California where his passion for community involvement was shaped. From volunteering at various community events to coaching youth sports and serving as an advisor to his local 4-H club, Solem is eager to help cultivate community among youth. Solem wants to ensure juniors have a memorable experience anytime they attend an NJAA event.

“I love the community that the NJAA and Angus breed cultivates. The NJAA brings people from all over together through their shared passion for Angus cattle,” Solem said. “The Angus family is truly one of a kind.”

To learn more about the NJAB, visit www.angus.org/NJAA/home/board.

– Written by Molly Biggs, Angus Communications

About the National Junior Angus Association

The NJAA promotes the involvement of young people in raising Angus cattle while also providing leadership and self-development opportunities for more than 4,500 active members nationwide.

ANGUS MEANS BUSINESS. The American Angus Association® is the nation’s largest beef breed organization, serving more than 22,000 members across the United States, Canada and several other countries. It’s home to an extensive breed registry that grows by more than 300,000 animals each year. The Association also provides programs and services to farmers, ranchers and others who rely on Angus to produce quality genetics for the beef industry and quality beef for consumers.

For more information about Angus cattle and the American Angus Association, visit www.angus.org.