New green coats: NJAA Board of Directors

Twelve young men and women represent the Angus breed as the National Junior Angus Board (NJAB). In their easily recognizable green coats, the juniors serve as friendly helpers, compassionate mentors and dedicated leaders. During the 2015 National Junior Angus Show (NJAS) July 13-18 in Tulsa, Okla., six young people were elected by their peers to serve on the board.

“The Angus breed is on the forefront of the industry and needs ambassadors, both old and young,” says Gabrielle Lemenager, Clifton, Ill., one of the six new NJAB members. “It is a humbling experience to have your name called as a representative of the breed, and I am so excited to be one of those ambassadors.”

Joining Lemenager on the 2015-2016 NJAB are: Katelyn Corsentino, Demham Springs, La.; Braden Henricks, Anadarko, Okla.; Tim Mardesen, Oxford, Iowa; Macy Perry, Prather, Calif.; and Reese Tuckwiller, Lewisburg, W.Va.

Delegates representing each state at the 2015 NJAS chose the newly elected directors. They will serve a two-year term and travel across the country to various events, promoting the Angus breed and helping other young people succeed in the industry’s premier junior organization.

The NJAA board members’ first activity is the Leaders Engaged in Angus Development (LEAD) conference in Seattle, Wash., Aug. 6-9.

Get to Know the New Board Members

Corsentino attended her first NJAS in 2007, the last time it was held in Tulsa. She is currently a student at Oklahoma State University, working toward a degree in animal science and reproduction physiology.

Hendricks is also attending Oklahoma State University, with an agricultural business major. After attending a NJAS with his older brother, he participated for the first time in 2006, when the show was held in Indianapolis, Ind. Hendricks’ family has raised Angus cattle since the early 1990s.

Lemenger is a junior at the University of Illinois, majoring in agricultural business. She attended her first junior nationals in 2004 when it was held in Kansas City. A first-generation Angus producer, she aspires to raise heifers that can compete at all levels and still be used as foundation females within a herd.

Mardesen is the technology guru of the new team. He is currently attending Black Hawk College with a major in computer science. He is a third-generation Angus producer and attended his first NJAS in 2008, when it was held in Des Monies Iowa.

Perry received her first cow when she was one-year-old, and attended her first NJAS in Tulsa in 2007. Currently she is a sophomore at Oklahoma State University, as an animal science, pre-veterinary major.

Tuckwiller is an eighth-generation farmer who followed in his older brother’s footsteps. Showing Angus from nine years old, he attended his first NJAS in 2009 in Perry, Ga. Tuckwiller is a student at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln studying genetics.

In addition to the new board members being elected, members serving for their second-year on the NJAB were elected to officer positions. Named as chairman was Alex Rogen, Brandon, S.D.; vice chairman, Jake Heimsoth, Cameron, Mo.; communications director, Michael Cropp, Damascus, Md.; foundation director, Evan Woodbury, Quenemo, Kan.; leadership director Lauren Grimes, Hillsboro, Ohio; and membership director, Katlyn Tunstill, Fayetteville, Ark.

The six new members are coming in, as six others say their goodbyes to the NJAA. Those who ended their terms on the board are: the late Cory Watt, Iva, S.C.; Shane Kerner, Weiser, Idaho; Tylee Jo Williams, Rio Vista, Texas; Will Fiske, Greenville, Va.; Jessica Radcliffe, Weston, Wis.; and Lindsay Upperman, Chambersburg, Pa.

Additional NJAS contest placings, awards and scholarships can be found on www.ANGUS.org. Coverage is also available on www.njas.info. Backdrop and candid photos, provided by Pearls Pics and Angus Media, are available for purchase online.