Junior delegates elect six new board members at the 2023 National Junior Angus Show.
Growing future industry leaders is an important part of the legacy of the National Junior Angus Association (NJAA). Each year, six junior members are elected to serve on the National Junior Angus Board (NJAB), where they further develop their leadership skills and represent Angus youth. The new directors were announced during the awards ceremony at the 2023 National Junior Angus Show on July 7 in Grand Island, Nebraska.
For many members, running for the board symbolizes a culmination of years of involvement and a chance to pursue a dream set at an early age.
“Upon meeting a great role model of mine and previous NJAA director, Daniel McFarland, I was given the confidence to go outside my comfort zone and try new opportunities; inspiring me from a young age, to take on new challenges and one day serve on the NJAA board,” said Jack Dameron, chairman.
The newly elected board members will serve two years on the NJAB — the first year as directors and the second as officers. They are Jonwyn Ayres, Powers, Oregon; Suter Clark, Gretna, Virginia; Kyli Kraft, Fort Collins, Colorado; Alli Perry, Fayetteville, Tennessee; Sawyer Styles, Brentford, South Dakota; and Mary Wood, Willow Spring, North Carolina.
During their term, board members travel the country assisting with shows and conferences, supporting juniors at state and national events and furthering the mission of the NJAA.
New NJAB officers were also selected after a thorough interview process.
The team will be led by chairman, Jack Dameron of Towanda, Illinois and vice chairman, Lauren Gilbert of Oldfield, Missouri. The officer team also includes Foundation director, Colter Pohlman, Hereford, Texas; secretary, Avery Mather, State Center, Iowa; events director, Lani LeBeouf, Deridder, Louisiana; and education director, Jayce Dickerson, Paradise, Kansas.
Meet the new directors
Jonwyn Ayres joins the board from Powers, Oregon. Her passion for The Business Breed began through involvement in her family’s Angus herd. She currently studies agricultural economics while competing on the collegiate livestock judging team at Black Hawk College in Moline, Illinois. In the next two years, Ayres said she will strive to maximize on the leadership development opportunities that the NJAA provides.
“These are truly my people, and I am excited to be of service to what I believe to be the best group of youth within our country and within the cattle industry,” Ayres said. “I am honored to be an encourager and empowerer for youth within Angus.”
Suter Clark found his calling in the Angus industry at an early age. He grew up in Gretna, Virginia where his family raises both Angus show cattle and commercial cattle. Clark attends Oklahoma State University, pursuing a degree in animal science with a minor in construction management. During his time on the board, Clark said he hopes to encourage Angus juniors to get involved in conferences and participate in as many contests as they can.
“The enthusiasm of the juniors has inspired me to give back and I feel like it is my time to do so,” Clark said. “I am looking forward to the next two years, during which, I would specifically like to see the junior board get a little more involved in the production-oriented juniors.”
Kyli Kraft is a fifth-generation farmer and rancher from Fort Collins, Colorado. She currently studies agricultural business at West Texas University. Kraft is deeply rooted in the Angus breed after growing up on a commercial Angus operation. Despite her Angus upbringing, her participation in the NJAA didn’t start until she was in high school, but this did not stop her from getting involved.
She is excited to use her experiences to be a mentor to other members of the NJAA – especially those who get involved later, like her.
“If it wasn’t for those board members that took the time to talk to me, I probably wouldn’t have taken the time to get involved in the Angus industry,” Kraft said. “Now that I am here, I realize that this is truly a family, and I am excited to continue my involvement in that for the next two years.”
Alli Perry comes from Fayetteville, Tennessee with a passion for genetics and embryology. She currently studies animal science at Oklahoma State University and after graduation, plans to pursue a master’s degree in genetics. Perry is proud to wear the green coat as it has been her long-time goal to become a junior board member and a mentor to NJAA members.
“The impact that past green coats and fellow junior members have made on me is what inspired me to want to become a green coat,” Perry said. “I look forward to making an impact on as many juniors as possible, just as past junior board members have done for me.”
Sawyer Styles of Brentford, South Dakota is a fourth-generation Angus breeder pursuing a degree in animal science with minors in agricultural business and agribusiness marketing at South Dakota State University. She is excited to take on this leadership opportunity and serve the NJAA. Styles hopes to share her unceasing love for the Angus breed with juniors and encourage them to seek involvement within the NJAA.
“When I was the 2021 delegate, I was listening to the candidate speeches when it really hit me like a ton of bricks that being a junior board member is something I want,” Styles said. “I told myself that I needed to go for it so I can share my Angus passion with other members and help them grow their passion for the breed.”
Mary Wood was born into the Angus family as a sixth-generation Angus breeder on her family’s farm in Willow Spring, North Carolina. Over the years, her dedication to The Business Breed has contributed to her involvement in the NJAA and her role as the 2022 Miss American Angus. For Wood, being on the junior board is a dream. She hopes to be a positive role model, a supporter to Angus juniors and an advocate for the breed.
“The support and encouragement that I have constantly received from the current board members and other juniors impacted me, and I want to be that person for other juniors,” Wood said. “I am excited to help the juniors within the Association reach their fullest potential.”
To learn more about the NJAB, visit www.angus.org/NJAA/home/board.
– Written by Katelyn Engel, Angus Communications
