Source:  Dani Friedland, 2/7/11

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) elected new leaders and approved resolutions as it wrapped up its trade show in Denver Saturday.

Bill Donald, a third-generation rancher from Melville, Mont., will follow Steve Foglesong as NCBA president, while J.D. Alexander of Pilger, Neb., was elected to fill Donald’s former president-elect post. Scott George of Cody, Wyo., is the new NCBA vice president.

“It is a great honor to be elected to lead NCBA for the next year. There is tremendous opportunity out there for U.S. cattlemen and women, and we plan to make every opportunity a reality,” Donald said in a statement.

David Dick of Sedalia, Mo., will chair the NCBA Federation Division, with Craig Uden of Cozad, Neb., serving as vice chairman. For the NCBA Policy Division, Bob McCann of Victoria, Texas, will serve as chairman and Don Pemberton of Hopkinsville, Ky., was elected policy vice chairman.

The NCBA also approved 2011 policy resolutions.

NCBA members voted to approve a resolution intended to address the Eastern Livestock bankruptcy. The resolution directs NCBA staff to work with members of Congress and federal agencies with the goal of making funds available to low or no interest to help producers directly impacted by the bankruptcy. New Albany, Ind.-based Eastern Livestock Co. filed for bankruptcy with debts of more than $130 million. 

The NBCA’s membership established a policy for immigration reform, approving a resolution that calls for full authority for federal, state, and local agencies to secure the border. The resolution also calls for the suspension of pending legislation and funding for federal land designations in the area. The NCBA said federally owned lands along the border with designations like “wilderness area” restrict motorized access of federal agents patrolling the border.

NCBA members also voted for a resolution under which NCBA staff would urge USDA and Congress to fully fund indemnification for brucellosis, tuberculosis, foot-and-mouth disease and other emergency diseases. The resolution also supports efforts to identify and develop interventions throughout the food chain intended, and supports research intended to find critical virulence factors for non-O157 shiga-toxin producting E.Coli associated with illness in people.

“This is the bread and butter of our organization,” NCBA Vice President of government affairs Colin Woodall said in a statement. “Our members take the time away from their operations and their families to travel here and debate important issues affecting the U.S. beef cattle industry. They then put it on paper. When we are fighting for U.S. cattlemen and women in Washington, D.C., we use these policy positions as our roadmap.”

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