2014 ASA Trustee Election

Dear PSA members and fellow Simmental breeders,

This is just a reminder that ASA members will soon be receiving ballots to vote for our Eastern Region Trustees. By selecting the candidates that best represent our interests, we can have a strong voice in the ASA.
Below is a message from Eastern Region Trustee Cliff Orley:

We have another VERY important ASA election coming up. I hope that our membership can support three very strong candidates who understand the challenges and benefits of the Simmental breed within our part of the country and the bigger picture of the USA as a whole.There are only two openings, so vote your choice, but be sure to VOTE. Every vote counts. The three that I am talking about are Brian De Freese( imcumbant)( IN), Barry Wesner(IN), and Randy Moody(AL). Progress is being made at ASA but we still have a lot of work to do. Thank you in advance, Cliff Orley

Please see below for biographies of these candidates.

Thank you for your time,
Laurie Meyers
President, Pa Simmental Association
717 350-2516
Laurie@pvsimm.com

Ballots will be mailed on or before November 19, with the deadline of December 19, for votes to be counted.

DeFreese’s Campaign Letter

DeFreese is the owner of Shawnee Cattle Company at West Point, Indiana. In addition to his own herd of Simmental, he serves as manager of the Purdue University Beef Unit, which produces commercial females and feedlot steers from a cowherd of 300 SimAngus cows and 100 replacement heifers. After attending the University of Indiana for three years, he graduated in 1974 from Purdue, then spent nine years traveling the US and Canada, working for several purebred cattle operations. He farmed and raised cattle for more than 30 years before accepting his present position at Purdue in 2007. Now completing a three-year term on the ASA Board of Trustees, he has been active in the Hoosier Beef Congress, the Indiana State Fair and the Indiana Performance Tested Bull Sale. He’s also a member of the Indiana Beef Cattle Association and served as president of the Tippecanoe County Cattleman’s Association. DeFreese and his wife, Marla, are the parents of three grown children: J.D., Rob, and Katelyn.

Moody’s Campaign Letter

Little Mountain Farm is the name of Randy Moody’s Simmental operation, located at New Market, Alabama. The Moody cowherd consists of 50 head of mostly purebred Simmentals with fewer numbers of SimAngus and a few purebred Angus. Reproduction is 100% by AI or embryo transfer, focused on producing cattle that are functional for their environment while maintaining traits of economic value. Currently, he serves as vice president of the Alabama Simmental Association, after four years as president. An active member of NCBA, he presently serves on the board of the Alabama Beef Cattle Improvement Association. A 1979 graduate in history and mathematics from the University of Montevallo, he founded Randy Moody Associates in 1993, a manufacturer’s representative company specializing in agricultural spraying and hydraulics. Randy and his wife, Joy, are the parents of one son, Michael (Brooke) and have three grandchildren: Micah, Patton and Parker Joy.

Wesner’s Campaign Letter

Wesner is the owner of Wesner Livestock Enterprises, maintaining a herd of 50 mature cows, including registered Simmental, SimAngus and Angus. Heavy use is made of embryo transfer and artificial insemination, utilizing only superior cow families with proven production records. Over the past 20 years, he has served multiple terms as President of the Indiana Simmental Association, served as co-coordinator for the AJSA Eastern Regional Classic in Indianapolis, and has served as the Simmental breed representative at the Indiana State Fair for the past eight years. A graduate of Purdue University with a degree in Agriculture Education, he worked for the Farm Bureau Cooperative System as a Feed Sales Specialist for 12 years, then became Multi-line Agent for Farm Bureau Insurance, and currently works as the Business Development Manager for Crop-Pro Insurance. He is the father of three adult daughters: Courtney, Carly and Bailey, all of whom have been involved in livestock-related activities.