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NCBA Announces 2025-2026 Policy Committee Leaders

WASHINGTON D.C. – On Wednesday, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) announced the appointment of key cattle industry leaders to serve on the association’s policy committees. The policy committees review, discuss, and vote on resolutions brought forward by NCBA members. These grassroots policies become part of NCBA’s policy book, which directs advocacy efforts in Washington, D.C.

“What sets NCBA apart as an organization is our grassroots policy process,” said NCBA President-Elect Buck Wehrbein, a Nebraska cattle producer. “Our volunteer committee leaders serve an important role by providing a venue for cattle producers from across the country to discuss the critical issues facing our industry and make decisions on how to move forward. I am proud of this highly distinguished group of cattlemen and cattlewomen, and I know they will serve the entire cattle industry well.”

The new committee leaders include:

Agriculture and Food Policy Committee

  • Jeff Schafer, chair (North Dakota)
  • Eric Jennings, vice chair (South Dakota)

Cattle Health and Well Being Committee

  • Barbara Jackson, chair (Arizona)
  • Troy Shelby, DVM, vice chair (Oklahoma)

Federal Lands Committee

  • Alisa Ogden, chair (New Mexico)
  • Lesley Robinson, vice chair (Montana)

International Trade Committee

  • Tony Toso, chair (California)
  • Will Mayfield, vice chair (Tennessee)

Live Cattle Marketing Committee

  • Mike Drinnin, chair (Nebraska)
  • Bruce Mershon, vice chair (Missouri)

Property Rights and Environmental Management Committee

  • Barb Cooksley, chair (Nebraska)
  • Leroy Startz, vice chair (Texas)

Tax and Credit Committee

  • Jeff Magee, chair (Mississippi)
  • Thomas Bryant, vice chair (Florida)

Additionally, NCBA made appointments to the NCBA-PAC Committee and the Resolutions Committee. NCBA-PAC is the political arm of the association while the Resolutions Committee provides technical review of policy resolutions moving through other committees. The NCBA-PAC Committee leaders will take office following CattleCon in San Antonio, Texas.

Political Action Committee

  • Donnie Lawson, chair (Indiana)
  • Charlie Swanson, vice chair (Oklahoma)

Resolutions Committee

  • Margaret Ann Smith, chair (Virginia)
  • Cary King, vice chair (Kentucky)

“NCBA’s staff takes our marching orders from our policy book, which is crafted through the grassroots policy process with the oversight of our committee leaders,” said NCBA Senior Vice President of Government Affairs Ethan Lane. “NCBA’s grassroots policy process helps ensure that this association is advocating for policies that support farms and ranches of all sizes and in every part of the country. We look forward to working with this group of cattle industry leaders as we fight for policies that protect cattle producers from overregulation, increase profitability, and secure our legacy for the next generation.”

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