aLL IN THE FAMILY
It isn’t unusual for children to follow in their parents’ footsteps. The kids of countless Hollywood celebrities have been bitten by the showbiz bug; the Bush family, the Kennedy family, the Cheney family and many others have produced notable politicians from within their ranks; Brian Henson took over the work of his father, Jim Henson; and President Teddy Roosevelt and Theodore Jr. are one of only two father-son pairs to be award the Medal of Honor for valor in combat.
In the ranching world, we understand. It’s the same for us. This is a generational business, and we’re proud that our family has a long history devoted to raising cattle and bettering the Brahman breed. That includes service with the American Brahman Breeders’ Association.
ABBA, the American Brahman Breeders Association, was founded in 1924 as the official breed registry of American Brahman cattle in the U.S. ABBA was originally created to maintain parentage and ownership records of American Brahman cattle. Over the past century, ABBA has expanded its reach to offer a wide range of programs and services for its members, including genetic and performance tools, educational opportunities, and more. Today, ABBA is the leading beef cattle association offering member services.
The Williams family got involved with the association in the early 1940s, serving on committees, the Board of Directors, and in leadership roles. Sloan Williams was the ABBA president from 1985-1987. Jim Williams served his term as president from 2003-2005. Like all past presidents, Jim holds a lifetime seat on the ABBA Board of Directors.
A NEW GENERATION CALLED TO SERVE
With a set-up like the U.S. House of Representatives, each area on the Brahman map has its own representation in ABBA based on the membership size of the geographical region. Congressmen and women are not appointed, of course, but elected by voters in their specific congressional district. The same is true with ABBA. Already serving on the ABBA Communications Committee, Catherine Williams Neumayr was nominated by the Area 3 Membership and elected from a candidate pool of eight nominees.
Catherine Williams Neumayr said: “Getting the news that our peers in Area 3 elected me to represent them on the ABBA Board of Directors was a humbling experience. It may be a volunteer position but being a voice for all breeders – big and small – is a job I take very seriously. By working together to heighten awareness of our breed, we can achieve outcomes that benefit us all.”
She continued: “I’m a mom to Knox, one of the youngest members in the 8th generation of our family. He’s only four now, but I look at our industry with eyes as to how his generations and future generations can benefit from the programs and policies we put into place today. The Brahman breed continues to develop and grow in astonishing ways, and I believe it has a bright future. I hope to show him by example – the same way my parents and grandparents have shown me – that there’s room for all of us in Brahman ranching and that the greatest achievements happen in community.”
The elected ABBA Board of Directors and ABBA committee members meet regularly to plan initiatives that will further the mission of the organization by enhancing members’ knowledge and profitability. We look forward to Catherine’s personal updates on the V8 Ranch blog.
To learn more about the work of the American Brahman Breeders Association, visit the official website or the organization’s Facebook page.
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