Getting Oriented In Tough Times
Posted by Diane – March 20th, 2009
The 2009 Beef Promotion Operating Committee met in Kansas City this week, with plenty on their plate. For starters, staff and producer leadership took new Operating Committee members through rules and procedures and an explanation of the checkoff’s planning and budget-development process. Craig Shackelford from USDA gave an overview of USDA’s role in overseeing the checkoff program and spoke specifically about the role of Operating Committee members.
This year’s Operating Committee includes the following representatives from the Beef Board and the Federation of State Beef Councils:
Beef Board Chairman Lucinda Williams chairs the committee: Other Beef Board members serving on it include: CBB Vice Chairman Dan Dierschke, Texas; CBB Secretary/Treasurer Tom Jones, Arkansas; Jerry Bohn, Kansas; Merrill Karlen, South Dakota; Chuck Kiker III, Texas; Ad Pedigo, Kentucky; John Schafer, Minnesota; Don Stewart, Importer; and Roger West, Florida.
Federation Chairman JD Alexander serves as vice chair of the committee: Other Federation members serving on it include: Chuck Adami, Wisconsin; David Dick, Missouri; Scott George, Wyoming; Dave Hamilton, Nebraska; Tammy Ogilvie, New Mexico; Linda Joy Stovall, Texas; Craig Uden, Nebraska; Beck Walth, South Dakota; and Helen Wiese, Iowa.
Following the introduction and orientation, Operating Committee members heard a financial report from Secretary/Treasurer Tom Jones, reminding them of the tightened checkoff budget in 2009. Further discussion ensued about the market conditions of middle meats following a market update from Kevin Good of Cattle-Fax.
During the March 18-19 meeting, Operating Committee members also discussed global beef promotion opportunities as highlighted in a foreign-market update from the U.S. Meat Export Federation and in discussions about the checkoff’s priorities and planning process for Fiscal 2010, when budget numbers are expected to remain down. In fact, virtually all discussions about the checkoff came back to its financial challenges – doing more with fewer dollars and continuously evaluating checkoff programs to assure that every dollar is being invested in as efficient a manner as possible given budget contraints and changing market conditions.
