Four Elected to Board of Trustees
4
One incumbent and three newcomers have been elected to the ASA Board of Trustees. Incumbent Tim Smith, Giddings, Texas, was re-elected and will return for his second threeyear term. Newly elected board members are: Tim Curran, Ione, California; John Irvine, Manhattan, Kansas; and Clay Lassle, Glendive, Montana. All four individuals were sworn in and formally seated during ASA’s Annual Meeting, January 17, in Denver.
Tim Curran, Ione, CA Tim Curran’s Circle Ranch maintains a herd of primarily SimAngus™ females in the foothills of California’s rugged, majestic Sierra Nevada mountain range. Cattle winter at lower elevations, but summer above 5,000 feet. His cowherd is comprised of 80% seedstock while 20% are commercial females. Genetics are marketed through the Beef Solutions Bull Sale, held annually on the fourth Thursday of September in conjunction with an area Angus breeder. Curran sells 100 SimAngus bulls through the sale and another 40 to 50 SimAngus bulls by private treaty. A member of the American Simmental Association since 1992, he is a strong advocate for performance cattle, having served as a director of the California Beef Cattle Improvement Association (CBCIA) and was named CBCIA Seedstock Producer of the Year in 2010. In addition, he serves as Open Pen Show advisor and Replacement Heifer Project advisor at the local County Fair. Prior to becoming a full-time cattleman, he spent 10 years as a retail meat cutter. Curran and his wife, Jill, are the parents of two sons, Taylor, 22, and Austin, 18.
John Irvine, Manhattan, KS With his father, Paul, and brother, Bernard, Irvine is a full partner in Irvine Ranch, a family farming/ranching operation that maintains a cowherd of 225 breeding-age females. Paul introduced Simmental to their A.I. program in 1968, before John was born. Irvine Ranch genetics are sold primarily through an annual production sale the first Saturday of November. In addition, bulls and semen are marketed through private treaty year-round. A graduate of nearby Kansas State University with a degree in Marketing, Irvine is also involved in the family’s real estate business and serves on a three-member board that awarded settlement payments to landowners losing land through eminent domain. As a youth, he was very involved in AJSA programs, and describes it as “an instrumental experience that fueled my interest in Simmental and the beef industry.” He spent six years on the Kansas Simmental Association board, including three as president, and has attended the last 10 Beef Improvement Association conferences. Married to Holly, he’s the father of four children: Anna, 9; Wesley, 7; Frances, 3; and Julia, 2.
Clay Lassle, Glendive, MT Lassle’s affiliation with Simmental cattle dates back to 1974, when the Lassle Ranch introduced the breed through A.I. Also deeply involved in the operation are his father, Erwin, as “his health permits,” Clay’s wife, Marianne, who keeps the books and “keeps everything running,” and their children, as time allows. Their herd of 250 cows ranges from purebred Simmental to SimAngus and a few head of straight Angus. Genetics are sold through an annual bull sale, which has been ongoing for the past 23 years and held the second Thursday in February, while select females and replacement heifers are sold through various outlets. Very active in Montana Simmental Association (MSA) programs, he has held the MSA offices of both president and vice president. Extremely involved in his community, he is a member of his county Weed Board; has been a 4-H leader for 18 years; teaches Sunday School classes; and served nine years on the local school board. Clay and Marianne are parents of three grown children: Sarah Thorson, Stephanie Schultz and Travis.
Timothy J. Smith, Giddings, TX As owner/operator of Smith Genetics, Smith has been affiliated with Simmental and Simbrah cattle for 35 years. Holder of an M.S. in Ruminant Nutrition from the University of Kentucky, he began breeding Simmental in 1980, adding Simbrah in ’84. His operation includes 250 Simmental and Simbrah females plus 100 recipients, was established in ‘89 and is based on extensive use of E.T. and A.I. The herd is enrolled in THE and has tested bulls in the Carcass Merit Program. In addition to private treaty sales, he has hosted 14 other progressive breeders who have banded together to create the Simbrah Synergy Sale and Showcase for the past eight years. Smith has served on the ASA Board of Trustees since 2012 and currently serves as Treasurer on the Executive Board. He is actively involved in other ag organizations and continues to be a strong supporter of junior programs, acting as coordinator and co-founder of the Simbrah-Simmental Superbowl that has raised and awarded over $600,000 in premiums and scholarships to Simmental and Simbrah 4-H and FFA members over the past 23 years. u
18
February 2016