AJCA Board of Directors Update

AJCA BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Tatum Miller, President At Large • Texas • Term expires 2022 432.230.1178 • tmiller1883@gmail.com

Berren Strope, Vice President At Large • Nebraska • Term expires 2023 402.340.7188 • berrenstrope@oneillschools.org

Jillian Bryant, Secretary/Treasurer At Large • Missouri • Term expires 2023 573.489.4732 • jillian.bryant.business@gmail.com

Taylor Pinkerton, Public Relations Northeast Region • Indiana • Term expires 2022 765.580.9681 • tapinkerton12@gmail.com

Morgan Baker At Large • Texas • Term expires 2024 940.329.1774 • morgandockann@gmail.com

Ray Beneker At Large • Ohio • Term expires 2024 513.907.3985• crbeneker@aol.com

Madeline Sonnenfeld Northwest Region • Nebraska • Term expires 2024 308.832.7215 • madeline.sonnenfeld@gmail.com

Courtney Bockman At Large • Nebraska • Term expires 2022 402.637.6353 • cbockman20@wwindians.org

Trace Helser At Large (SW) • Nebraska • Term expires 2022 308.883.3875 • showsteer380@gmail.com

Hannah Smith Southeast Region • NC • Term expires 2023 828.371.8726 • hannah.smith@students. macon.k12.nc.us

Maddie Smith At Large • Texas • Term expires 2024 903.904.1598 • 24maddies@eustaceisd.net

Shea Whaley At Large • Iowa • Term expires 2023 515.851.9206 • sheawhaley22@gmail.com

Down the Road

by Taylor Pinkerton, Northeast Region Director

Hey y’all! Here in Indiana snow is starting to fall as winter is digging in its heels. Calving is right around the corner and another semester is starting for me here at Purdue. As I think ahead to this summer, it’s hard to believe that it’s going to be my last Junior Nationals as a board member; something that really doesn’t feel real.

Let’s take a step back in time –June of 2014. I was 12, small, shy, with an older brother just starting his tenure on the Junior Board. Someone mentioned to my parents that I should run for the Chi Princess, and as luck would have it, suddenly there I was with a tiara on my head in the middle of the show ring at Junior Nationals in Grand Island. I served as the Chi Princess for 2 years, giving me a sideline view to the Junior Board and everything that came with it. I saw every smile, every word of encouragement, and the true sense of family that every kid on the board felt. It was then that I knew I would be part of something bigger than myself when I was older.

Fast forward to 2019, Des Moines, Iowa. It was there that I made the decision to run for the AJCA Board of Directors as a senior in high school, so excited to start on a new adventure as I hoped that I would be able to serve the association that I grew up in. There I found myself again, in the middle of a show ring, wearing something much better than a tiara: a purple blazer. I hoped that as a board member I would be able to share my love for all things Chi cattle and give others the same experience that I was so lucky to have as a kid.

What I found, however, was that I was able to do so much more than that. Looking back over the past 3 years, I truly couldn’t be more thankful for the experiences and opportunities that the Chianina Association has given me. The relationships that I’ve been able to form with so many families and individuals are ones that I know will last a lifetime and will continue to serve me well beyond my years as a junior. It’s given me the chance to connect with so many people within this industry, as well as advocate and produce change within the breed. It’s given me friends, another family, and so many mentors, all while allowing me to gain leadership experience and positively impact everyone I’ve gotten the chance to be around. These are things that I will carry with me my entire life, and things that not everyone is lucky enough to learn and experience.

As my time on the board draws to a close, I find myself looking down the road into the future. I couldn’t be more thankful for the experiences I’ve had and the people that I’ve met, and this experience is something that I wish I could share with so many other individuals, but the best thing I can say is to take the chance, run for the board, and you have the potential to grow in so many ways.