Livestock Marketing Association to elect new leadership, discuss industry issues at Annual Convention
The Livestock Marketing Association (LMA) will host its Annual Convention in Dubuque, Iowa June 6-10, 2018 in Dubuque, Iowa. In conjunction with the World Livestock Auctioneer Championship (WLAC), the LMA Annual Convention will be comprised of break-out sessions, committee meetings and updates, and the election of the 2018-2020 officers and directors.
During the Leadership Luncheon, current LMA president, Jerry Etheredge (Montgomery, Ala.) will be elected Chairman of the Board and Tom Frey (Creston, Iowa) as president, Larry Schnell (Dickinson, N.D.) as vice president. Additionally, regional directors will be elected. Eastern Region directors are Brian Glick, Belleville, Penn. and Randy Heselschwerdt, Napoleon, Mich. The Midwestern Region director is Tim Starks, Cherokee, Okla., and the Western Region director is David Macedo, Tulare, Calif.
While at Annual Convention, attendees may attend break-out sessions with content aimed at educating auction market owner/operators or managers and auctioneers. Among the sessions, attendees will have the opportunity to become Beef Quality Assurance – Transportation certified, learn more about cyber security, and receive information on expressed warranties from the auction block. Committee work will take place, with update and question/answer forums to follow. Topics of discussion for the week include major policy initiatives— Dealer Statutory Trust, traceability and transportation— and member services— animal handling and sustainability.
The WLAC competition will take place on June 8 and 9. If you are interested in viewing the WLAC, tune into the live online stream or mark your calendar for a television broadcast. The interviews will be on Friday, June 8, at the Grand River Center in Dubuque and can be viewed live on www.LMAauctions.com starting at 3:00 p.m. (CDT). The auctioneering competition will be at Bloomington Livestock Exchange beginning at 8:00 a.m. (CDT) and will also be streamed live on www.LMAauctions.com. On June 25, the WLAC will be broadcast as a special, one-hour show on RFD-TV, starting at 7:00 p.m. (CDT).
Contestants who have qualified to compete are Mitch Barthel, Perham, Minn.; Neil Bouray, Webber, Kan.; Chuck Bradley, Rockford, Ala.; Colton Brantley, Modesto, Calif.; Albert Carroll, Downeyville, Ontario; Leon Caselman, Long Lane, Mo.; Bill Cook, Billings, Mont.; Eric Drees, Nampa, Idaho; Dean Edge, Rimbey, Alberta; Will Epperly, Dunlap, Iowa; Brandon Frey, Creston, Iowa; Philip Gilstrap, Pendleton, S.C.; Steven M. Goedert, Dillon, Mont.; Cody Hanold, Brighton, Ill.; Jonathan Kraft, Hobart, Ind.; Kyle Layman, Morland, Kan.; Wade Leist, Boyne City, Mich.; Cody Lowderman, Macomb, Ill.; Jacob Massey, Petersburg, Tenn.; Thad McDermott, Wellfleet, Neb.; Brandon McLagan, Milan, Mo.; Jared Miller, Leon, Iowa; Daniel Mitchell, Cumberland, Ohio; Lander Nicodemus, Cheyenne, Wyo.; Jay Romine, Mt. Washington, Ky.; Jason Santomaso, Sterling, Colo.; Ethan Schuette, Washington, Kan.; Russele Sleep, Bedford, Iowa; Justin Steward, Wyoming, Iowa; Tim Yoder, Montezuma, Ga.; Zack Zumstein, Prairie, Idaho.
The 2018 LMA Annual Convention and WLAC is sponsored in part by Professional Livestock Insurance Company and Livestock Marketing Insurance Agency, Berkley Agribusiness, Cattlemen's Beef Board, and the official animal health sponsor, Boehringer Ingelheim. More information about the events can be found at www.LMAweb.com.
