Jarold Callahan was born on a farm and ranch in Welch, Okla., and graduated one of the top 10 students in the College of Agriculture at Oklahoma State University (OSU). Upon graduation, he was an instructor at Northeast Oklahoma A&M (NEO). While at NEO, he received his master’s degree in agriculture from the University of Arkansas. In 1981, Callahan joined the faculty at OSU as an assistant professor in the animal science department. He was in charge of the purebred beef herds and coached the livestock judging teams. In 1991, Callahan became the executive vice president of the Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Association, and in 1996, he joined Express Ranches initially as chief operations officer and then became president. Callahan also was elected to the American Angus Association Board of Directors in 2005 and served as president in 2011 to 2012.