In this bonus episode, new American Angus Association president Jim Brinkley joins fellow Board members Darrell Stevenson and Ron Hinrichsen to recap Angus Convention, what they learned and the conversations had among Angus breeders in Kansas City.

The 142nd Annual Convention of Delegates concluded the weekend of education, fellowship and celebration. The group shares updates about newly elected leadership, strategic plans and what’s ahead.

HOST: Mark McCully 

GUESTS:

Jim Brinkley, 2026 president and chairman, has served on the American Angus Association Board of Directors for the past seven years. Along with their children, Crystal and Justin, Brinkley and his wife, Sherry, own 1,300 acres and 400 registered Angus cattle at Brinkley Angus Ranch (BAR) near Milan, Mo.

Darrell Stevenson, 2026 vice president and vice chairman of the American Angus Association Board and native of White Sulphur Spring, Mont., holds strong ties to the Angus breed and a history of activity in the Montana Angus Association. In 2019 Stevenson and his wife, Sara, expanded from Hobson onto a new unit in White Sulphur Springs to establish a later-calving herd operating as Stevenson Down T. Although separated by a mountain range, Darrell continues to breed and market genetics with Stevenson Angus Ranch.

Ron Hinrichsen, director on the American Angus Association Board, has been involved in multiple sectors of the beef cattle industry throughout his professional career and is a third-generation Angus breeder. Ron and his wife, Lynne, established R&L Angus/Hinrichsen Ranch in the Flint Hills of Kansas near Westmoreland, upon graduating from Kansas State University. While raising high-quality cattle, Ron and his wife, Lynne, have two children — Cale and Eva. Along with the cattle operation, Ron's professional career started in semen sales and later moved into animal health sales.

RELATED READING:

President's Letter

Angus Genetics Inc. research projects

American Angus Association Annual Report  

Don't miss news in the Angus breed. Visit www.AngusJournal.net and subscribe to the AJ Daily e-newsletter and our monthly magazine, the Angus Journal.

HOSTS: Mark McCully and John Stika

GUEST: Gary Smith

Gary Smith had no plans to become a meat scientist.

In this episode, Smith shares how he found his path in the industry to dedicating more than six decades helping transform the beef industry through research, education and mentoring. He highlights how far the industry has come, including the development of vacuum packaging and the important work of the National Beef Quality Audit helping shape today’s quality-focused beef industry.

Smith also provides some insights on the future and the importance of delivering a consistent, quality eating experience for consumers.

GUEST: Oklahoma native Gary Smith, with a bachelor’s degree in agricultural education and a master’s in animal breeding, was tapped to fill a vacant meat science professor position at Texas A&M University where he completed a doctoral degree in meat science. Smith was at the forefront of industry-changing research, including studies on beef palatability, food safety, product packaging, beef shelf life, transoceanic shipment of meat, and food safety, including mitigation of E. Coli O157:H7, Salmonella, and Listeria in packing plants. He has been an advocate of value-based marketing and worked to keep ranchers profitable. Alongside a team of researchers from Texas A&M and Colorado State University, Smith pioneered the National Beef Quality Audit. Other notable industry research projects include the International Beef Quality Audit, National Consumer Retail Beef Study and exploring USDA beef quality and yield grade standards.

RELATED CONTENT:

Purpose Follows Passion

SPONSOR:

Ingram Angus is committed to producing high-quality, proven genetics that perform for real-world cattle producers. You’re invited to their Annual Production Sale on Friday, Nov. 7, on the farm in Pulaski, Tenn. For more information on some of the breed’s most proven cow families, visit ingramangus.com. 

Don't miss news in the Angus breed. Visit www.AngusJournal.net and subscribe to the AJ Daily e-newsletter and our monthly magazine, the Angus Journal.

HOSTS: Miranda Reiman and Mark McCully  

GUESTS: James Coffey

James Coffey’s granddad discouraged him from returning to the farm. But he did it anyway.

This episode covers Coffey’s path from business owner back to the Hustonville, Ky., farm, and details his No. 1 focus: the commercial customer. Knowing their needs turned into a large customer buyback program, which is an additional source of both revenue and data for Branch View Angus. Coffey covers how the tobacco industry shaped the cattle business in recent decades, lessons from his outside business that he can apply to his Angus operation and how he views progress.

 GUESTS: James Coffey is a fifth-generation Angus breeder raised on the family’s cattle and tobacco farm, Branch View Angus, near Hustonville, Ky. Coffey has spent his life working alongside his father and grandfather helping with the cattle, and previously the tobacco operation.

After graduating from the University of Kentucky with a bachelor’s degree in accounting, James worked for Coopers and Lybrand, Louisville, Ky., a Big Six accounting firm. With a desire to be closer to the farm, he joined Kerbaugh and Rodes, CPAs, Danville, Ky., and finished his CPA certification. In 1993 he purchased Pitman Creek Wholesale (PCW), a sporting goods distribution company. While expanding PCW, James set out to grow the family Angus operation. Since 2011 the family has hosted the largest annual Angus sale in Kentucky, one of the largest sales in the east.

James and his wife, LuAnn, have a son, David Reid, who is the sixth generation to grow up on the farm. James also has two sons, Addison and Bennett. 

RELATED CONTENT:   

Cornerstone Cattle  

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

Looking for your next influential sire? The Angus Bull Book: 2025 Angus Sire Directory is your resource for some of the top genetics in the breed.  

View this inaugural sire directory for updated EPDs as you make breeding and semen purchasing decisions at www.angus.to/angusbullbook02025api.  

Don't miss news in the Angus breed. Visit www.AngusJournal.net and subscribe to the AJ Daily e-newsletter and our monthly magazine, the Angus Journal.

HOSTS: Miranda Reiman and Mark McCully 

GUESTS: Mick and Ross Varilek

Varilek Angus Ranch was Angus when Angus wasn’t the norm.  After a rough dehorning experience, Elvern Varilek turned to the breed in the 1940s, and the family has never looked back. Mick Varilek returned to the ranch after graduating from South Dakota State University, with his new bride, Lynn, and they raised three children alongside the Angus cattle. Now their son Ross and his family have done the same. They are gearing up to host their 74th annual Angus production sale this spring, but for all the heritage their southeast South Dakota ranch holds, it’s also a place of innovation. The Varileks have embraced new technologies like DNA testing, ultrasound, and video sales to improve their herd and reach more customers. Listen to this episode to find out why they do what they do, how their involvement in the local rodeo scene has helped shape their business and their thoughts on the future.

GUESTS:

Mick Varilek is a lifelong Angus breeder and rancher from Geddes, S.D. Varilek Angus consists of 500 registered Angus females, 4,000 acres of native pasture and 1,000 acres of grass hay, irrigated alfalfa and cropland. The ranch markets 175 registered Angus bulls and 30 registered females to commercial and seedstock producers each February. His son Ross returned after graduating from South Dakota State University, and he and his wife are raising their family on the ranch. 

Don't miss news in the Angus breed. Visit www.AngusJournal.net and subscribe to the AJ Daily e-newsletter and our monthly magazine, the Angus Journal.

The American Angus Association Board of Directors met in Saint Joseph, Mo., Sept. 8-11 and covered a variety of topics including:  

• Long-range Association objectives  
• Research project updates 
• Review of genomic ownership policy  
• Association financial forecasts and entity budgets 
• Events and opportunities to come at the 2025 Angus Convention 

HOST: Mark McCully 

GUESTS:
Jonathan Perry, chairman of the American Angus Association, has spent much of his life working in the purebred business. As general manager of Deer Valley, Perry developed an Angus program that balances all economically relevant traits in cattle that maintain structural soundness and phenotype. Perry and his wife established the Hickory House restaurant in 2014, and it specializes in serving 100% CAB-branded product.  

Jim Brinkley, current vice chairman, has served on the American Angus Association Board of Directors for the past seven years. Along with their children, Crystal and Justin, Brinkley and his wife, Sherry, own 1,300 acres and 400 registered Angus cattle at Brinkley Angus Ranch (BAR).  

Darrell Stevenson, treasurer of the American Angus Association Board and native of White Sulphur Spring, Mont., holds strong ties to the Angus breed and a history of activity in the Montana Angus Association. In 2019 Stevenson and his wife, Sara, expanded from Hobson onto a new unit in White Sulphur Springs to establish a later-calving herd operating as Stevenson Down T. Although separated by a mountain range, Darrell continues to breed and market genetics with Stevenson Angus Ranch. 

Mark Johnson, director on the American Angus Association Board, operates J&J Beef Genetics, LLC along with his wife, Brenda, and two daughters, Sydney and Charley, near Orlando, Okla. Johnson grew up on a centennial family farm in Deerfield, Mo. He attended Northeastern Oklahoma A&M junior college and later Oklahoma State University (OSU). He then completed his doctorate at Kansas State University in 1992. Since then, Johnson has been a professor of animal and food sciences at OSU and has served as supervisor of the OSU Purebred Beef operation for 32 years.

RELATED READING: 
President's Letter
Driving Breed Improvement Amid Diverse Perspectives
DNA Genotyping Policy and Benefits 

Don't miss news in the Angus breed. Visit www.AngusJournal.net and subscribe to the AJ Daily e-newsletter and our monthly magazine, the Angus Journal.

HOSTS: Miranda Reiman and Mark McCully  

GUESTS: David and Carol Medeiros 

Starting out as first-generation Angus breeders wasn’t easy, but David and Carol Medeiros were determined to make it work. In the tough agriculture climate of the 1980s, they balanced off-farm jobs, raising kids and managing cattle near Denair, Calif. With teamwork and hard work, they grew their operation and partnered with the Dal Porto family to launch an annual production sale — now the second-longest running Angus sale in California. 

While their vision of the ideal cow has remained steady, their business has evolved, including the expansion to a ranch in the Nebraska Sandhills. In this episode, David and Carol share their story and how they’re now helping the next generation of Angus families build dreams of their own. 

GUESTS: David and Carol Medeiros own and operate Rancho Casino, in both Denair, Calif., and Purdum, Neb. They both grew up in the agriculture business, and the Angus herd began with David’s first 4-H heifers that he showed during high school.  

David earned and Carol both earned degrees from Cal Poly State University, where they made connections that helped them in their career. Carol is a certified public accountant and was a partner in her own firm until they sold it a few years ago.  

The pair raised three children on the ranch in California, and now split their time between the home location there and the ranch they acquired several years ago in the Sandhills of Nebraska. Their goal remains to raise maternal, high -fertility, low -birthweight cattle that get “better every year.”  

SPONSOR: Ready to see how Vermeer can help you get more done in a day? Visit Vermeer.com/angus to learn more and find your local dealer.  

 RELATED CONTENT: Common Goals, Uncommon Success  

Don't miss news in the Angus breed. Visit www.AngusJournal.net and subscribe to the AJ Daily e-newsletter and our monthly magazine, the Angus Journal.

HOSTS: Miranda Reiman and Mark McCully  

GUEST: Paul Hill  

Paul Hill says he’s been lucky in life, but his path would indicate more than luck. The longtime Angus breeder grew up on a peanut farm and commercial cattle operation in Florida, but his lifetime in the cattle business has taken him from Missouri to the East Coast and eventually to Ohio. Paul and his business partner, Marshall Reynolds, founded Champion Hill Angus and grew it into a leading Angus program across the country, especially well known for their success in the show ring. Here he shares the secret to finding the right cow lines, his philosophy around seizing opportunities and the role of surrounding yourself with good people. 

GUEST: Longtime Angus breeder Paul Hill is most notably associated with Champion Hill Angus, Bidwell, Ohio, which he owned and operated with his wife, Lynn, and business partner, Marshall Reynolds. They dispersed in 2017 but still remain involved in various ways. The Hills raised two daughters in the Angus business, Sarah and Neenah. Sarah served as 1992 Miss American Angus and on the National Junior Angus Board of Directors in 1993-1994. 

Paul’s career started at the Herdsman Institute, with an intermission for service in the Army during the Vietnam War. He worked for Briarhill Angus Farms in Union Springs, Ala., in 1971, as in Connecticut, South Carolina and Virginia before working for Marshall Reynolds 1990. The two became business partners in 1993, founding Champion Hill Angus. The herd, which included 200 donor cows and 900 recipients, had a year-round breeding program to maximize the use of recipients and supply the demand for show heifers. 

Paul served on the American Angus Association Board of Directors and was chairman in 2007-2008. During his time on the Board, he was a four-year chairman of the Angus Foundation, helping guide the structure that’s in place today and spearheading the $11 million Vision of Value: Campaign for Angus. 

SPONSOR: Ready to see how Vermeer can help you get more done in a day? Visit Vermeer.com/angus to learn more and find your local dealer.  

RELATED CONTENT: A Purpose for Coming Home 

 Champion of Opportunity  

To read all the Salute to Service stories, click here.   

Don't miss news in the Angus breed. Visit www.AngusJournal.net and subscribe to the AJ Daily e-newsletter and our monthly magazine, the Angus Journal.

There is a special sense of camaraderie found at the National Junior Angus Show each year that’s hard to describe. This episode’s guests cover finding a supportive community within the Angus breed, the challenges of traveling long distances to attend the show, and the fun and learning experiences along the way. Cailee Flood, of California, and Tripp Gibson, from New Mexico, agree that stepping out of their comfort zones has paid off in a big way. 

HOSTS: Miranda Reiman, Mark McCully and Kyli Kraft 

GUESTS: Tripp Gibson and Cailee Flood 

Roy “Tripp” Gibson, is the son of Roy and Vera Gibson and a fifth-generation rancher from New Mexico. He attended his first National Junior Angus Show in 2020 at age 9 and was instantly hooked. This fall, Tripp will begin his freshman year at St. Pius X High School in Albuquerque, where he is also a member of the golf team. 

Cailee Flood, from Oakdale, Calif., is a fifth-generation cattle rancher. With years of experience in 4-H, FFA and leadership roles in the Angus industry, she is pursuing a future in agricultural business and pre-law at Kansas State University. 

CO-HOST: Kyli Kraft is a fifth-generation cattlewoman from the mile-high state of Colorado. She’s been active with the Colorado Junior Angus Association and the National Junior Angus Association. A recent graduate of West Texas A&M University in Canyon, Texas, Kyli now works for the Farm Credit Association in Amarillo. 

SPONSOR: Ready to see how Vermeer can help you get more done in a day? Visit Vermeer.com/angus to learn more and find your local dealer. 

Don't miss news in the Angus breed. Visit www.AngusJournal.net and subscribe to the AJ Daily e-newsletter and our monthly magazine, the Angus Journal.

International experience has a way of changing people, and several young Angus producers recently got the chance to learn that firsthand. While at the National Junior Angus Show in Tulsa, Okla., Sam Jordan spoke about his time at the Royal Highland Show in Scotland, and Tucker Stagemeyer and Jonwyn Ayres recapped their World Angus Forum experience from Australia. They talked about adapting to different formats and country-specific styles while highlighting the global friendships they’ve kept up since returning home.  

HOSTS: Miranda Reiman, Mark McCully and Jonwyn Ayres 

GUESTS:  Sam Jordan and Tucker Stagemeyer

Sam Jordan, Savannah, Mo., is a recent high school graduate and plans to attend Redlands Community College and judge there in the fall. His 4-H livestock judging team earned third at the national contest to earn a spot to compete at the Royal Highland Show in Scotland in June.  

Tucker Stagemeyer, Page, Neb., finished his two-year degree at Butler Community College where he competed in livestock judging, helping to earn 2024-2025 Team of the Year honors for the school. He grew up on a diversified farming operation with registered and commercial cows, a stocker enterprise and irrigated corn and soybeans. 

CO-HOST:  Jonwyn Ayres, a third-generation Oregon Angus breeder, attends Oklahoma State University and competes on their livestock judging team. She is working toward an undergraduate degree in animal science with a pre-law emphasis and plans to raise Angus cattle with her family while specializing in water and environmental law.  

SPONSOR: Ready to see how Vermeer can help you get more done in a day? Visit Vermeer.com/angus to learn more and find your local dealer. 

RELATED CONTENT:  International Success 

Don't miss news in the Angus breed. Visit www.AngusJournal.net and subscribe to the AJ Daily e-newsletter and our monthly magazine, the Angus Journal.

Starting a small business is no small feat, but doing so while also juggling schoolwork and cattle work? That's a challenge that these podcast guests have proven they’re ready to tackle. Corbin Russell, Paxico, Kan., and Kasey Meyer, Blue Hill, Neb., both grew up in the National Junior Angus Association, so they had a feel for managing chores and schedules, but they also have another thing in common: entrepreneurship. Corbin talks about starting his leather work business, while Kasey gives insights from her custom tagging and show heifer ventures. Their advice for others ranges from “try new things” to the importance of building relationships. 

HOSTS: Miranda Reiman, Mark McCully and Suter Clark

GUESTS: Corbin Russell and Kasey Meyer

Corbin Russell, Paxico, Kan., is the son of Stephen and Dixie Russell, and he will begin his junior year of high school this fall. Corbin started doing leather work at age 7 for a 4-H project and currently takes custom orders through his business CK Leather.  

Kasey Meyer of Blue Hill, Neb., is the daughter of Brandon and Kami Meyer. She’s been involved in the National Junior Angus Association since 2015 and recently finished her associate’s degree in agricultural sciences from Central Community College. She has recently started own custom tag engraving business KLM Engraving and has developed a show heifer enterprise. 

CO-HOST:  

Suter Clark, son of Gretchen and Timothy Clark, comes from Virginia. He's been involved in the National Junior Angus Association and the Virginia Junior Angus Association since 2014 and is pursuing a degree in animal science with a minor in construction management at Oklahoma State University. Upon graduation, he hopes to return home and help his family with their show cattle operation as well as the family business. 

SPONSOR: Ready to see how Vermeer can help you get more done in a day? Visit Vermeer.com/angus to learn more and find your local dealer. 

Don't miss news in the Angus breed. Visit www.AngusJournal.net and subscribe to the AJ Daily e-newsletter and our monthly magazine, the Angus Journal.