Despite the humidity that goes hand in hand with the move to the Midwest, Benjie Lemon can’t help but smile as he enters the Saint Joseph, Mo., office as the new president of Angus Media. 

While he’s still settling in during his first week, he says there’s a lot to be excited about. 

“It’s day three,” Lemon admits with a smile, “and I’m initially just going into this with my eyes wide open and my ears absolutely pricked, so that I’m able to take in all the information and find out the status and determine where things are.” 

Originally from Colorado, Lemon is no stranger to the agriculture business. His family homesteaded a ranch on the Western slope, and Lemon spent his childhood around livestock and his local 4-H chapter. 

After obtaining a degree at Colorado State University (CSU) in animal science, it became clear that agriculture was more than just a family tradition. 

“I kind of recognized that it was a natural fit for me to pursue a professional career,” he explains.

That allowed me to take my talents and combine my background into something that was going to be fun and exciting and something that was going to allow me to lend all my experiences.” — Benjie Lemon

Lemon says his “aha” moment came when he met his now wife, Laurie, on the CSU campus. The duo married right after graduation, and each embarked on careers in agriculture. 

“She’s very tied to the business, to the industry, understands the industry and is a tremendous asset from a family perspective,” he says of their shared passion. “She and I are able to communicate on professional topics and also personal topics.” 

Lemon’s initial step into the workforce came with a pharmaceutical sales role on the west coast. He eventually brought his family back home to Colorado, as he spent 14 years working in the beef industry. From Colorado Cattlemen’s Association and the Colorado Livestock Association to the North American Limousin Foundation, he says he enjoyed serving cattle producers across the state. 

He eventually had the opportunity to join the Equine Network in a sales role and stayed there for 19 years. That tenure found Lemon working within a suite of niche discipline specific horse titles, while also being exposed to their growing events and direct-to-consumer business. 

The network services 300,000 members, and while he says he enjoyed his role within the organization, he’s eager to get back to his roots at Angus Media.

“My parents will tell you that the idea of serving the beef business and, more importantly, serving the purebred side of the business was something I had long aspired to do,” he adds. 

Coming home

As he embarks on his journey as president, Lemon is pleased to say that his past positions have equipped him with the skills necessary to steer the ship. 

“There’s a lot of things you can do in the media departments and media activities for sure,” he explains. “However, most important is to focus on customer service and enhance the experience for Angus members, commercial customers and allied industry partners.” 

Lemon has plans to evaluate, execute and implement tools and services that continue to make the marketing world simplified for Angus members. He says he hopes to continue to help the Business Breed excel and serve as champions for not just the purebred business, but the beef industry as a whole. 

It was the opportunity to help guide services available to members that caught his attention when he read the job description, but ultimately, it was family that helped him accept the new title. 

Lemon’s daughter, Kallie, is studying physical therapy at University of Nebraska-Lincoln, just a short two-hour drive from his new office in Missouri. 

“I think when this opportunity presented itself, hats off to Mark McCully,” Lemon explains. “One of the biggest selling points that he shared was the fact that the office is located in St. Joseph, which is just a hop and a skip from Lincoln.” 

He adds that Laurie about “put dents in the ceiling” she was jumping so high with excitement at the opportunity. 
McCully says he is proud of the new addition to the Association’s offices. 

“Benjie will be a great fit in the Angus family,” McCully says. “He is an experienced leader, has significant knowledge in delivering innovative media solutions and has strong cattle industry roots.”

So while the chance to be closer to his immediate family gave Lemon the final push to take on the role of president, it’s also an extended family welcoming him to Missouri with open arms. The beef industry is glad to have him back in their ranks. 

“I really can’t impress upon folks enough the fact that I’m truly excited to be able to take this a full 360 degrees and mesh all that into this particular role as a leader and a resource in helping to guide this department and this division as we take the next steps,” Lemon says.