Around the States

Around the States

IDAHO: IWGA Director Retires

After 38 years as Executive Director of the Idaho Wool Growers Association, Stan Boyd stepped down in early July.

Retirement might be too strong a word for Boyd’s future plans, but the time was right to give up one of his jobs.

He still serves on the board of the National Lamb Feeders Association, as general manager of the Rocky Mountain Sheep Marketing Association and owns a restaurant – The Refuge – in Boise, Idaho, that proudly serves American lamb.

“This will free up some time for my wife and I to travel,” said Boyd. “My wife is retired and there are some things we want to go do.”
Brandy Kay has been appointed to fill the opening created by Boyd’s retirement. Kay was raised on a ranch in Emmett, Idaho, where the family business included the production of purebred Suffolk sheep.

Kay is a 2011 graduate of Boise State University with a master’s degree in public administration, emphasis in environmental and natural resource policy.

She has more than eight year’s public service with the University of Idaho Extension Service as an educator and is a past president of the Idaho Association of 4-H Agents. She interned for three summers with IWGA during her college years. Her duties will include acting as the executive secretary for the Idaho Sheep and Goat Health Board.

NORTH DAKOTA: HOFFMAN IS SHEEP SPECIALIST

Travis Hoffman is the North Dakota State University Extension Service’s new sheep specialist.

He also holds a joint appointment as sheep specialist for the University of Minnesota Extension. He started in late June.

Hoffman had been an instructor in meat sciences in the Department of Animal Sciences at South Dakota State University since September 2015. Prior to that, he was the Colorado beef quality assurance coordinator, a joint appointment for Colorado State University and the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association, Colorado Livestock Association and Colorado Beef Council, for more than seven years.

He grew up on a diversified livestock operation near Rockham, S.D. His family produces registered Corriedale sheep, along with commercial feeder cattle.
He earned a bachelor of science degree in animal science, with a science emphasis, from SDSU in Brookings in 2003, a master’s degree in 2008 and a doctorate in 2015 in animal science, with a meat science emphasis, from Colorado State University.

Hoffman’s Ph.D. research was part of the 2015 National Lamb Quality Audit and focused on retail and food service components of attributes that specifically define and quantify consumers’ willingness to pay for lamb quality in the U.S. marketplace.

He has taught several sheep-related courses and authored or co-authored numerous articles on sheep industry topics.

“We are very excited that Travis has joined our faculty at NDSU,” says Greg Lardy, head of NDSU’s Animal Sciences Department. “His background and knowledge in meat science will provide opportunities for building strong Extension programs. Travis’ enthusiasm for the sheep industry is contagious.”

COLORADO: Changes at Mountain States

After overseeing the acquistion of the JBS plant in Greeley, Colo., in the past year, Dennis Stiffler is retiring from Mountain States Rosen.

“With gratitude for his service and sorrow for his departure, we wish Dennis the very best,” said Frank Moore of the Mountain States Rosen board of managers.

Stiffler will assist with the transition as Ron Gould has been hired as the new chief executive officer. A veteran of 35 years experience in the protein business, Gould has served in a variety of leadership roles and owned his own business.