Gary Voogt President Gary Voogt and his wife Shirley own and operate a registered Angus family farm in West Michigan. The farm participates in bull test stations in Michigan and Indiana in addition to operating a test station at the farm. Gary is a graduate of Michigan Technological University in Houghton, Michigan with a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering. He is a registered Professional Engineer. In July of 2007, he retired from a 41-year career as owner and CEO of a consulting engineering company. He also served on the school and church boards and held public office as Township Treasurer. Voogt is a past president of the Michigan Cattlemen’s Association where he has been a member for 35 years, and past chairman of the Michigan Beef Industry Commission and a director for 18 years. He received a Distinguished Service Award from Michigan State University, and he and his family have been selected both Member of the Year and Purebred Breeder of the Year by the Michigan Cattlemen’s Association. Voogt has represented Michigan since 1989 as a director of NCBA. He was elected Region I Vice President of NCBA in 2003 and served on the Executive Committee. In 2007, he served as Chairman of the Federation of State Beef Councils division of NCBA, and last year he served as President-Elect. Other NCBA service includes the Nominating Committee, the Evaluation Committee, the Beef Checkoff Working Group, Vice Chairman of the Beef Promotion Operating Committee, Vice Chairman of the Global Marketing Group, and Director of the U.S. Meat Export Federation. Since his retirement from engineering, Gary has increased his NCBA commitment through 92 days of travel, including 10 meetings in Denver, 4 in Washington, and 2 in Chicago. He has boarded 83 airplanes and visited 15 states so far, paying particular attention to issues facing ranches on public lands.

Steve Foglesong President-Elect Steve Foglesong is the owner of Black Gold Ranch located in Illinois.  With his wife and children, he operates a cow-calf, stocker, feedlot, and replacement heifer development program. He attended the University of Illinois where he received a bachelor’s degree in animal science. Steve is active in many agricultural organizations. He is a member and past president of the Illinois Beef Association, and is currently serving as NCBA's President-Elect.  He was appointed to the Cattlemen’s Beef Board by the Secretary of Agriculture and also served on the Beef Check-off Working Group. He has held other positions within NCBA including Membership and Association Services Committee Chairman, Region III Vice President, New Marketing Initiatives Committee member, and member of the Blue Ribbon Commission. While serving in these roles, Steve provided strategic direction for resource development to achieve the goals and objectives of the industry’s Long Range Plan. He also helped guide the coordination between NCBA, state affiliates, beef councils and other industry organizations. Steve, and his wife, Linda, have raised four children, Nate, Drew, Cole and Kaitlin.  In his spare time, he continues to work on enhancing the wildlife habitat on the ranch and participates in local groups such as his county cattlemen’s association, school board, and Extension.

Bill Donald Vice President Bill is a third generation rancher from Melville, Montana. Along with his family he owns and operates Cayuse Livestock Company, a cow/calf/yearling operation with headquarters located in the foothills of the Crazy Mountains in South Central Montana. He and his wife, Betsy, have two sons, Josh and Wyatt, who are actively involved on the ranch. Bill has long been active in cattlemen’s issues and organizations. He is a founding member and served as the first president of the Crazy Mountain Stockgrower’s Association; served on committees, the board and as president of the Montana Stockgrowers Association; served on the executive committee of R-CALF; served the National Cattleman’s Beef Association Policy Division on committees, the board, as Cow/Calf Council Chairman, and is currently serving as the NCBA Vice President. He has served his community on the Melville and Sweet Grass County High school boards as a member and Chairman and as a member and Secretary Treasurer of the Melville Volunteer Fire Crew.

J.D. Alexander NCBA Federation Division Chairman J.D. Alexander, a cattleman from Pilger, Nebraska, owns Alexander Cattle & Farms, a 2,000 acre corn/soybean/alfalfa farm that markets approximately 15,000 head of cattle per year.  He has owned Alexander Cattle & Farms since 1984. Alexander is a 1975 graduate of South Dakota State University with a B.S. in Agricultural Economics.  While at SDSU, he was a member of the Jackrabbit football team from 1971 to 1974, and served as Captain in 1974.  Between 1975 and 1984, Alexander held two positions with FMC Corporation Ag Chemicals Division:  he was a Sales Representative in North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota and Nebraska from 1975 to 1980, and he was a Sales Manager in Wisconsin, Illinois and Indiana from 1980 to 1984.  The 1990's was a busy decade for Alexander.  He participated in NCA's Young Cattlemen's Conference in 1991; served on the Cattlemen's Beef Promotion and Research Board from 1992 to 1998; served on the Domestic Marketing Subcommittee from 1993 to 1994; was Administrative Subcommittee Vice Chairman in 1995 and Administrative Subcommittee Chairman from 1996 to 1998.  He also served on the Executive Committee from 1996 to 1998, as well as the Joint Beef Industry Nominating Committee in 1998.  Alexander served as President of the Nebraska Cattlemen in 2001, and was a member of the National Beef Industry Planning Group from 2000 to 2001.  In addition, he has participated in several foreign trade missions, as well as foreign study travel seminars in Belgium, East and West Germany, Russia and Poland with the Nebraska LEAD program.  He is President of the Wisner-Pilger Community Schools Foundation, Past Executive Board member of the Nebraska Cattlemen Board of Directors, and has served on numerous NCBA Committees as well.  He is currently serving as NCBA Federation Division Chairman and he serves on the Nebraska Beef Council.  In addition, he serves as Bank Director for both Midwest Banks in Pierce, Nebraska and United Republic Bank in Omaha. Alexander and his wife, Debra, have two children:  Joshua and Kesa.  Like his father, Joshua is a 2003 graduate of South Dakota State University.  Kesa is also following in J.D.'s footsteps and is currently a senior at South Dakota State University.

Scott George NCBA Federation Division Vice-Chairman Scott George is a second generation diary farmer from Cody, Wyoming. Scott's parents homesteaded in Cody in 1947 and established the George Dairy in 1954. Although primarily devoted to the dairy industry, Scott and brothers Arley and Lynn are also involved in cow/calf production. He and his brothers also have the American Breeders Service dealership in Cody. Together they conduct custom AI programs, breeding several thousand beef cattle each year. The Georges are also forage producers, raising all of the corn silage and earlage and the majority of hay required to feed their beef and dairy herds. Scott attended Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah as a student in the school’s nationally acclaimed dairy program. He also completed a two-year mission for the LDS church traveling northern Texas before returning to the dairy where he has worked full time since 1977. Locally, he has been an active member of the Wyoming Farm Bureau Federation where he served as chairman of the General Issues Committee. In addition, he has been involved with the Wyoming Beef Council, both as a Council member and national director to the Federation of State Beef Councils since 1991. Scott is a recent past chairman of the Federation’s Youth Education and Information Subcommittee and was the Federation’s Region V Vice President in 2008. He has also served on the Beef Promotion Operating Committee and the Audit Committee. Scott has been an influential supporter of the beef checkoff program. In Wyoming, he has traveled the state speaking to hundreds of beef producers about the accomplishments of the beef checkoff. Scott is committed to sharing his belief that the beef checkoff program is a crucial entity that all segments of the industry should rally around because the program benefits each and every producer. Scott and wife Debra have nine children between them, including the youngest, Jillian, who still lives at home.

Tracy Brunner NCBA Policy Division Chairman Tracy Brunner’s primary business interest is Cow Camp Beef, which is a fourth-generation family owned beef production business with ranching and feeding operations located in the Western Flint Hills of Central Kansas near Ramona. Cow Camp Beef includes several related entities, which are all coordinated with the goal to produce higher value beef. Cow Camp is also integrated into the processing of their product, owning most of their production through processing via value based marketing. Cow Camp Inc. is also involved in beef processing via U.S. Premium Beef stock ownership. At Cow Camp Beef, the focus is on quality beef production through identifying and supplying superior genetics, production efficiency, and information management. Their mission includes supplying other producers with tools needed for an improved beef business. Tracy and Yvonne, his wife of 28 years, also own a Bonded Livestock Dealer and Service business, consulting and assisting other producers in marketing. Some of their most recent work is in the production and delivery of differentiated branded beef products. Tracy believes their future in beef production will be through supplying products with greater consumer value. Tracy is also active in industry representation and governance, recently elected Vice Chairman of the Policy Division of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. Past service with NCBA includes many years on the Board of Directors as well as serving on the Executive Committee from 2005 to 2008. He is past Chairman (2003-2005) of the New Product and Culinary Initiatives Committee of NCBA. Tracy also recently served two terms (1999–2004) on the Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion and Research Board. He served three years on the Operating Committee (2002-2004) overseeing projects funded by the $70 million annual national beef check-off budget. In 2008, Tracy served as the President of the Kansas Livestock Association, the 6000-member organization representing both beef and dairy producers in Kansas. Since first appointed in 1991, Tracy has served on the Kansas Beef Council, overseeing investment of beef check-off funds in Kansas, and served as its chairman from 2004 to 2006. Tracy and Yvonne have two children. Their daughter, Cat Jenkins, resides in Maize, Kansas with her husband Jake. Cat is a professional recruiter with Spherion Corporation based in Wichita, Kansas. Their son Tanner, age 16, is a student at Centre High School. Tracy and Yvonne are active in their church and community. Tracy is a graduate of Kansas State University with both a Bachelor's degree in Animal Science (1978) and a Masters degree in Agribusiness (2002). His wife Yvonne and daughter Cat are also graduates of KSU. Tracy says the key to any successful business is customer satisfaction. Their everyday work is helping other producers “make the move from cattle producer to beef producer”.

Bruce Hafenfeld NCBA Policy Division Vice Chairman Bruce Hafenfeld and his wife Sylvia live on a family-owned and operated cow-calf, stocker and feeder operation near Weldon, Calif. Hafenfeld Ranch utilizes both private and public lands. The Hafenfelds have two children, Jessica and Eric. Bruce flew A6 Intruders and A4 Skyhawks as a captain in the United States Marine Corps from 1970 to 1974. He received a B.S. degree in Animal Husbandry at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo in 1970, and also has a degree in Agriculture Science. Locally, Bruce was a South Fork School Board member for 14 years, a 4-H leader for six years, and served on the Kern County Fair Beef Committee for six years. He was named Kern County Cattleman of the Year in 2000. He is past president of the Kern County Cattlemen and served on their Public Lands and Cattle Health Committees. Hafenfeld has been a leader on the state level as well, serving the California Cattlemen’s Association as president in 2007-08, on its Cattle Health and Public Lands Committees, and on its Board of Directors. Bruce has been active in NCBA since 1989. He is vice chair of the Policy Division, serves on the Executive Committee, Policy Division Board of Directors, and the Federal Lands Committee. He has testified before Congress regarding CAFTA as well as the 2002 and 2007 Farm Bills and has been active in other industry issues. In 1990, he received the Society of Range Management’s Excellence in Stewardship Award.