Junior Angus members from coast-to-coast and all parts in between gathered July 17 to 23 in Denver to attend the annual meeting of the National Junior Angus Association (NJAA). The meeting is held in conjunction with the National Junior Angus Show each year.

Voting delegates elected six new directors to the NJAA board, and new officers, beginning the second year of their two-year term, were announced at the awards function, Friday, July 22.

Jake Tiedeman, North Platte, Neb., will serve as the chairman of the board. Casey Jentz, Fennimore, Wis., was elected to the vice chairman position.

Alicia Kramer, Farina, Ill, will serve as the communications director, and Curtis Bryant, Monkton, Md., was elected the Foundation director.

Renee Thelen, Saline, Mich., will fill the leadership director position. Heath McPherson, Snow Camp, N.C., was elected the membership director.

Candidates from 13 states ran for the six open positions on the board. Delegates cast their ballots for six candidates after each submitted an application, gave a presentation and completed round-table interviews. A brief biography of the newly elected directors follows.

Zebadiah Gray is the 20-year-old son of Julie and Terry Gray and hails from Toledo, Iowa. He attends Iowa State University and majors in animal science. At school, he is a member of the meat judging team and involved in Block & Bridle and the Beef Team. He has been active in the Iowa Junior Angus Association, where he serves as a director.

Kristen Oaks, Calhoun, La., is the 19-year-old daughter of Rebekah and Butch Oaks. Kristen will be a sophomore at Louisiana State University, where she double majors in agriculture business and mass communications. She has been active in Angus programs, actively participating in numerous LEAD (Leaders Engaged in Angus Development) Conferences and competing in various contests and showing her cattle at the state and national level.

Amanda Schnoor hails from Chowchilla, Calif., and is the 19-year-old daughter of Mindy and Brad Schnoor. She'll attend Oregon State University this fall where she continues to judge livestock. She has completed an associate's degree in animal science from Modesto Junior College. Amanda has held numerous leadership positions within the California Junior Angus Association, including president and vice president, and has exhibited cattle nationally.

Alex Tolbert, Nicholson, Ga., is the 20-year-old son of Delia and Ed Tolbert. He is a recent graduate of Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College, and will attend Oklahoma State University this fall and major in agriculture economics. Alex is a past president of the Georgia Junior Angus Association, and the Georgia FFA program, serving as state FFA vice president in 2002-2003.

Tracee Veenstra is the 21-year-old daughter of Diana and Gary Veenstra, and is from Springfield, Minn. She attends Minnesota State University and will be a senior with a double major in speech communication and management. She has been active in various aspects of the beef industry, including serving as Minnesota's Beef Ambassador, and placed 6th in the National Cattlemen's Beef Association's Beef Ambassador program.

Kindra Wood, Holly Pond, Ala., is the 19-year-old daughter of June and Keith Wood. As a sophomore at Auburn University, she majors in animal science, and is active in Block & Bridle and other organizations. Kindra has been active in junior Angus programs, and has held numerous leadership positions in the Alabama Junior Angus Association, as well as competed in numerous educational contests at the NJAS.

The NJAA board of directors develops and organizes leadership programs for more than 10,000 members of the NJAA. For more information about junior Angus programs, go to www.njaa.info.

Date: 9/22/05

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