Cattlemen’s Beef Board Elects New Officers At 2022 Winter Meetings
Cattle producers Norman Voyles, Jr., Jimmy Taylor and Andy Bishop are the new leaders of the Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion & Research Board (CBB). This officer team is responsible for guiding the national Beef Checkoff throughout 2022.
Voyles, Taylor and Bishop were elected by their fellow Beef Board members during their Winter Meetings, held during the 2022 Cattle Industry Convention in Houston, Texas. Voyles, the 2021 vice chair, will now serve as the CBB’s chair, while Taylor will transition from his role as the 2021 secretary-treasurer to become the 2022 vice chair. Bishop is the newest member of the officer team, taking on Taylor’s former responsibilities as secretary-treasurer.
Chair Norman Voyles, Jr. owns and operates a seventh-generation grain and livestock farm near Martinsville, Ind. with his brother Jim and son Kyle. Voyles received a bachelor’s degree in animal science from Purdue University and a master’s degree in ruminant nutrition from the University of Nebraska. Voyles is a member of the Morgan County (Ind.) Beef Cattle Association and the Indiana Cattlemen’s Association. He’s a member of the Indiana Farm Bureau and a past member of the Farm Service Agency board of directors and the Morgan County Fair board.
“As 2022 gets underway, the beef industry is facing some challenges, but we also see many opportunities,” Voyles said. “The past few years haven’t been easy for producers, but there are many positives that we can build upon. The men and women who make up the Cattlemen’s Beef Board are committed to advancing the beef industry and working with Checkoff contractors to execute successful programs and initiatives throughout the coming year.”
Vice Chair Jimmy Taylor and his wife Tracy run a commercial Angus herd near Cheyenne, Oklahoma consisting of approximately 600 females on 12,000 acres. Their ranching efforts have earned them the 2011 Certified Angus Beef Commitment to Excellence Award and the 2013 Oklahoma Angus Association Commercial Breeder of the Year. The use of artificial insemination, proper nutrition, genomics and other new technologies play a large role in obtaining the operation’s goal: to create a good eating experience for the consumer. Taylor has also served on several local and state boards.
Secretary-Treasurer Andy Bishop and his wife Meagan currently raise their four children on their registered Angus seed stock operation, Fairfield Farm, living by the motto “Faith, Family and Farming.” Bishop began his career teaching agriculture to students and eventually moved into the field of agriculture lending in 2007. Bishop is the former chair of the Kentucky Beef Council and the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) Young Cattlemen’s Conference. Bishop also served as a member of the Long Range Planning Task Force and as president of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) Young Producers Council and the Kentucky Cattlemen’s Young Producers group.
“Norm, Jimmy and Andy are incredibly dedicated to the beef industry, and their experience will be invaluable as we guide the CBB through 2022,” said Greg Hanes, CEO of the Cattlemen’s Beef Board. “They bring their own unique perspectives to their new roles with the CBB, and we’re looking forward to their knowledge and expertise as we continue to find new and innovative ways to drive beef demand throughout the year ahead.”
The Beef Checkoff program was established as part of the 1985 Farm Bill. The checkoff assesses $1 per head on the sale of live domestic and imported cattle, in addition to a comparable assessment on imported beef and beef products. States may retain up to 50 cents on the dollar and forward the other 50 cents per head to the Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion and Research Board, which administers the national checkoff program, subject to USDA approval.