The Canadian Angus Association is pleased to announce the new 2017-2018 board executive selected during the Canadian Angus National Convention in Brandon, Manitoba.
Brett Wildman of Sangudo, AB was elevated from the position of President Elect to President. David Sibbald of Calgary, AB, moved into the Past President position and Trevor Welch of Glassville, NB was chosen as President Elect.
Wildman, elected in 2014, is the third member of his family to serve on the Canadian Angus Association Board of Directors executive. Brett's father David was President in 1990 and his brother Kirk was President in 2010. Brett Wildman owns and operates Wildman Livestock with his wife Traci and their daughter Paige in Sangudo, AB. He was raised in a purebred Angus operation and has worked as a herdsman and semen collector.
Welch is the fourth generation of his family to farm on their land. Garvie Mountain Angus is located in western New Brunswick in the small community of Glassville. He, his father Fred Welch and son Taylor Welch currently run around 30 mother cows, made up of purebred black Angus and Black Baldie commercial cows. With a growing land base, they plan to increase their herd to 50 cows within the next 2 years. Welch is a professional engineer and a licensed New Brunswick Land Surveyor by profession, and is the owner of Welch Surveys Ltd.
Sibbald, his wife Mary Beth and sons Dylan and Adam operate SSS Red Angus which was established in 1972. Sibbald is a fifth-generation rancher and is also the President and Chairman of the Board of the Calgary Stampede and a Director on the board of the Canadian Beef Breeds Council. He has judged several Canadian national cattle shows along with numerous 4-H shows in British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan, and is a proven noted industry and organizational leader, planner and thinker. Sibbald was elected to the Board in 2013.
In addition to the new executive, George Baxter was elected in the province of Alberta, and Graham McLean was elected in Ontario to replace retiring Directors Doug Reid and Past President Tammi Ribey respectively. Maritime Director Welch, Quebec Director Ryan Currie and Manitoba Director Shawn Birmingham were all acclaimed in their respective regions and have begun serving their second (and final) consecutive three-year term from 2017-2020.
Baxter and his wife Laura operate Count Ridge Red Angus near Bassano, AB. Baxter's purebred herd started in 1974 and was a continuation of his father Andrew's herd. Count Ridge Red Angus has grown to approximately 200 purebred Red Angus cattle and 100 Red Angus-influenced commercial cattle today. In addition to his cattle, Baxter has been involved in his community serving as a director on the local school board, and in various other positions with 4-H clubs and the Rural Electrification Association.
McLean and his brother Murray operate a purebred Angus cow herd, Melmac Angus Farms near Melbourne, Ontario with 35 cows. Their father Ron started the herd in 1974. They also grow corn and soybeans. McLean has served as president of the Melbourne Fair Board, Lambton County 4-H Association, Watford Optimist Club, Western Ontario Angus Association and Ontario Angus Association. He is currently a co-chairperson of the Watford Silver Stick Hockey Association and director of the Watford Optimist Co-op Housing board.
Reid operates Reid Angus at Cochrane, AB with his wife Kate and family. Reid has been involved in the purebred Angus business since 1993 and was elected to the board in 2014. Prior to joining the national board, Reid served for six years on the Alberta Angus Association board of directors. He chaired the Alberta bid committee for the 2009 World Angus Forum and also served as a key and senior volunteer planning for and delivering this historic event. He has substantial international marketing experience, visiting every continent and every cattle producing country while working as a sales representative.
Ribey was elected to the CAA Board of Directors in 2013. In her home province she maintains a 400-acre farm in Bruce County near the village of Paisley. She owns a 25-year-old veterinary practice with both large and small animals. Ribey has donated much of her spare time to the Ontario Angus Association over the past 10 years including serving 2 years as president. Ribey's father Gary Harron served as Canadian Angus President in 1996. They are the only father and daughter to both serve as President of the Canadian Angus Association. Ribey will be Chair of the third Canadian Beef Industry Conference when it moves to Ontario in August 2018.
Source : Canadian Angus Association