8 NEBRASKA CATTLEMAN January 2026 NC BOARD OF DIRECTORS PRESIDENT: Craig Uden*, Johnson Lake, (308) 325-0285 PRESIDENT-ELECT: Eric Hansen*, North Platte, (308) 530-3899 VICE PRESIDENT: Jaclyn Wilson, Lakeside, (308) 762-3196 PAST PRESIDENT: Richard (Dick) Pierce, Miller, (308) 440-2489 SECRETARY/TREASURER: Laura Field, Lincoln, (402) 326-7743 MEMBER SERVICES VICE CHAIR BY REGION 1 – Bill Baldwin, Mitchell 2 – Lydia O’Brien, Whitman, (308) 546-7349 3 – 4 – John Kennedy, Primrose, (308) 920-2828 5 – 6 – Bob Wiseman, Hershey, (308) 530-3137 7 – Todd Schlueter, Blair 8 – Becky Funk, DVM, Lawrence, (308) 360-3179 9 – COW-CALF COUNCIL CHAIR: Jake Johnson, Hastings, (402) 984-8824 VICE CHAIR: Tyler Pieper, Farnam FARMER-STOCKMAN COUNCIL CHAIR: Dwight Dam, Hooper, (402) 720-4250 VICE CHAIR: Tony White, Paxton FEEDLOT COUNCIL CHAIR: Daron Huyser, Lexington, (308) 233-4368 VICE CHAIR: SEEDSTOCK COUNCIL CHAIR: James Felt, Wakefield, (402) 287-2488 VICE CHAIR: Jeff Pope, Ravenna ALLIED INDUSTRIES COUNCIL Austin Woltemath, Lincoln, (402) 419-0320 ~ COMMITTEE LEADERSHIP ~ ANIMAL HEALTH AND NUTRITION CHAIR: Jeff Heldt, Scottsbluff, (308) 641-5781 CHAIR-ELECT: Scott Reynolds, DVM, Broken Bow, (308) 870-0970 BRAND AND PROPERTY RIGHTS CHAIR: Matt Blackford, Thedford, (402) 322-1377 CHAIR-ELECT: Robert Star, Hershey, (308) 520-3488 EDUCATION AND RESEARCH CHAIR: Suzanne Jagels, Davenport, (402) 469-3374 CHAIR-ELECT: Kelly Terrell, Gothenburg, (308) 930-2162 MARKETING AND COMMERCE CHAIR: Chance McLean, Stromsburg, (402) 366-2254 CHAIR-ELECT: Marshall Hansen, Omaha, (402) 616-4541 NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENT CHAIR: Sam Drinnin, Grand Island, (402) 910-0233 CHAIR-ELECT: Logan Pribbeno, Imperial, (308) 883-7770 TAXATION CHAIR: Stephen Sunderman, Norfolk, (402) 750-0149 CHAIR-ELECT: Steven Wellman, Syracuse, (402) 269-7024 MEMBER SERVICES CHAIR: Quentin Dailey, Lexington, (308) 293-1144 NEBRASKA LIVESTOCK MARKETING ASSOCIATION REP. Bryce Dibbern, Interior, S.D., (308) 293-7766 UNL EXTENSION REPRESENATIVE Erin Laborie, Beaver City, (419) 494-3872 UNL REPRESENTATIVE Deb VanOverbeke, Lincoln, (402) 714-5879 * member of the Executive & Finance Committee INSIGHTS FROM THE GROUND UP CRAIG UDEN | JOHNSON LAKE NC PRESIDENT In Nebraska’s beef community, we often hear big opinions packaged into small sound bites. However, our industry is far more complex than a headline or social media clip. Too often, those sound bites divide us more than they inform us. What I want most is for our members to engage, learn and truly understand the entire beef chain from end to end. Nebraska Cattlemen (NC) has a unique opportunity to help make that happen. Whether it’s through our midyear meeting, annual convention or affiliate programs, we need to invest in educating our members with real depth. Oftentimes, people join NC because a single issue hits close to home on their operation, but we all need to understand that the modern beef industry is very complex and is interconnected in ways that require broader awareness from all of us. From seedstock and genetics to cow-calf and stocker production, to feeding, processing, retail and ultimately the consumer, each link affects the next. Yet once an animal leaves our possession, many of us lose sight of what comes next. That’s a gap we need to close. We must bring in experts from every segment of the industry to help paint a complete picture for our members. Education means very little if it stops at the meeting room door. My hope is that, as members better understand the big picture, they’ll take that knowledge back home and apply it, because the way we’ve always done things won’t carry us through the next decade. Another priority this year is elevating Nebraska cattle producers as visible, reliable sources of expertise in the beef space – both here at home and nationally. For too long, we’ve allowed other organizations to speak on our behalf. It’s time we use our voice and our knowledge with confidence. Recently, I’ve had the chance to represent Nebraska Cattlemen in national media, from the Associated Press to cable news networks. I welcome those opportunities, because we need to be out front, explaining not just what we believe, but why. Simply labeling something “good” or “bad” isn’t enough. We owe our members – and the public – clear, accurate explanations backed by reliable sources. That communication doesn’t have to happen on national TV. It starts at home. We’re a grassroots organization. If we can’t have informed conversations with our neighbors, we can’t expect to influence discussions at higher levels. Leadership must start from the ground up, not the top down. My goal this year is simple: help our members see the whole picture, understand their role in it and strengthen this organization from the ground up. ~NC~ My goal this year is simple: help our members see the whole picture, understand their role in it and strengthen this organization from the ground up.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NTMxNTA5