Andy Groseta President Andy Groseta is a third-generation cattleman from Cottonwood, Arizona.  His family is one of the pioneer mining and ranching families that settled in north central Arizona.  Andy’s family ranching operation has included the Pine Creek Ranch, a stocker ranch, located north of Williams, Arizona, which was owned and operated by the family from 1980-2000; and the W Dart Ranch, a cow/calf operation headquartered in Cottonwood, Arizona, that has been in business since 1922. Between 1989-1993, Groseta managed the Yolo Ranch and the Inscription Canyon Ranch, located northwest of Prescott, Arizona.  The Yolo Ranch is one of the largest, historic cattle ranches in northern Arizona.  Groseta is a partner in Headquarters West, Ltd., a statewide  agribusiness firm specializing in farm and ranch brokerage, appraisals, management and consulting.  Groseta is a 1972 graduate of the University of Arizona with a B.S. in Agricultural Education and Animal Science and he received a Master’s Degree in Agricultural Education in 1978.  He is currently serving on the Executive Committee of the Arizona Cattle Growers Association; has served as Chairman of the NCBA Federal Lands Committee from 2002-2004; has served as Chairman of Arizona Cattle Growers Association Federal Lands Committee; and has served as Arizona’s Director of the Public Lands Council from 1999 - 2007. He is Past President of the Yavapai Cattle Growers Association.  He is serving as Chairman of the University of Arizona Yavapai County Cooperative Extension Advisory Board and serves as President on the school board of Mingus Union High School.  Groseta is immediate Past Chairman of the Catholic Community Foundation. Groseta and his wife, Mary Beth, were recognized as Arizona State FFA’s “Agriculturist of the Year for 2004”. Groseta and his wife, Mary Beth, have three children:  Paul, Katy and Anna.  Paul is a December 2004 graduate (B.S. Agricultural Economics) from the University of Arizona and along with his wife Gretchen and family, is living and working on the family ranch.  In addition, he is a farm and ranch appraiser working with Headquarters West, Ltd. in Cottonwood.  Katy is a May, 2005 graduate (B.S. Animal Science) of the University of Arizona; and graduated with a Master's Degreen in Agricultural Education and Communications from the University of Florida.  She is an Agricultural Education teacher and FFA advisor at Buckeye High School (Arizona).  Their youngest daughter, Anna, graduated December, 2007 from the University of Arizona with a BS degree in Agricultural Economics and Management.  She is working for the Arizona Beef Council where she is Director of Public Relations & Marketing.

Gary Voogt President-Elect 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 B.S. degree in Civil Engineering.  He is a registered Professional Engineer.  In July, 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 with his family have been selected as 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.  Other NCBA service includes the Nominating Committee, the Evaluation Committee, the Beef Checkoff Working Group, Vice Chairman Beef Promotion Operating Committee, Vice Chairman of Global Marketing Group, and Director of the U.S. Meat Export Federation. Since his retirement, Gary has increased his NCBA commitment thru 68 days of travel, including 7 visits to Denver, 3 to Washington, 2 to Chicago, and visited 13 states.

Steve Foglesong Vice President 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 Vice President of NCBA’s Policy Division.  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 NCBA Policy Division Chairman 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 Chairman of the Policy Division. 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.

Eric Smith NCBA Policy Division Vice-Chairman Eric Smith of Reform in Pickens County, Alabama is a lifelong cattle producer and an outstanding industry leader.  He has served as president of local county cattlemen's association and as regional vice president.  In 2006 he was elected as the 61st president of the Alabama Cattlemen's Association. In this role he presided over a 125-person board representing the state's cattle industry trade association and the state's beef checkoff program.  Eric's leadership and relationship with the auction markets played an important role in Alabama re-activating its own state checkoff program. Smith grew up on a diversified farm and graduated from Pickens Academy.  He received a degree in business from the university of Mississippi and also played on the Ole Miss Football team. Smith returned to the family farm following college where he has successfully put his business degree to work managing a large farming operation.  He has a vast stocker program along with 200 head commercial cow-calf herd, a timer farm and a large broiler operation. Smith has served on the National Cattlemen's Beef Association board of directors for several years and currently serves as vice chair of the Policy Division.  He is a very active leader in the county serving on numerous boards.  He serves as a director for the Alabama Farmers Federation, as a Soil and Water supervisor, as a Director for the Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D) and on the Industrial Development Board. He is a member of the Saint Roberts Catholic Church.  Eric and wife Erin have three boys – Wyatt, Mark, and Judson.

Alan Albright NCBA Federation Division Chairman Alan Albright is a Farmer/Feeder from Lytton, Iowa.  He started buying into his family business in 1986 and has been in the feeding business for 28 years marketing 5000 head annually.  Alan has been on the board of directors of the Calhoun County Cattlemen’s since 1979 and on the Iowa Beef Council board since 1990.  He has served on the NCBA board since 1996 and was the Region III vice president from 2003-2006.  Alan has served on NCBA’s International Markets Committee, the Nominating Committee, Resolutions Committee, Operating Committee and Evaluation Committee.  He has also served on the USMEF Board since 1997.  Alan feels the beef industry faces challenges in maintaining beef demand and the industry needs to do a better job of identifying and funding demand-building programs.  Maintaining state beef councils in low cattle/high population states is also a challenge facing the industry.

J.D. Alexander NCBA Federation Division Vice-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 Vice 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.