by Ryan Thorson, Western Region
“Change is inevitable, misery is optional.” These are words that a mentor of mine always used to say, and a favorite quote of his. It was a guarantee that it would be brought up any time we were discussing changes that might be taking place. Although he is no longer with us, this quote still sticks with me because it is just as applicable today as 15 years ago, and one could argue that we see more and faster change today than we ever have in our lifetimes. How we accept and adapt to change will be a critical driving force as it relates to our operations at home, as well as the American Simmental Association.
For the ASA, we must constantly be aware of change in the industry and be ready so that we are proactive and not reactive. As I mentioned in my last Viewpoint a year ago, the private sector is probably our biggest competitor when it comes to providing data. How do we adapt and change and be is a constant challenge and something we talk about at every board meeting. A common phrase that has been spoken in the last year is that we need to move at the speed of commerce to not only keep our Association at the forefront, but more importantly our members. This is challenging as we are a science-based breed association. Science takes time but this board continues to push staff to always keep a foot on the gas pedal.
The theme during our Fall Focus symposium directly related to changes that are happening in the packing industry. The continued focus to push carcass weights even higher and the possible change in the yield grade formula are at the top of the list. These changes are coming and it is important that the American Simmental Association provides the tools to our members to adapt to these changes, so we are at the forefront in the industry and not playing catch-up. We must meet these changes head-on, whether it is providing the right tools for our members to improve on needed traits, or from a marketing standpoint to communicate the message that Simmental cattle are the solution and the best choice for use in a crossbreeding system for the commercial cattle industry.
The Carcass Merit Program is another great example of a change that your Association has had to make. The program was at a crossroads, for lack of a better term. We had more breeders wanting to utilize this program for progeny testing bulls than we had cows. I am proud to report that staff put their heads down and thought outside the box and have recently started working with a beef-on-dairy herd that will not only be able to provide carcass data back to the ASA, but also more novel traits like heart, lung, and liver scores and feedlot health phenotypes. Staff knew a change was needed and came to the board with this opportunity for additional thoughts and ideas, and then made it happen. Time will tell how successful this new endeavor is, but they drove the change to keep this valuable program available to our membership.
Of course, one cannot talk about change at the ASA in 2025 without talking about the change in leadership we will see this coming summer as Dr. Wade Shafer officially steps down as EVP. Dr. Shafer has been at the Association for the last 21 years and has served as the EVP for the last 12 years. The success of the ASA during his tenure is unmatched and this breed has possibly never seen as much industry acceptance and growth during any other period in history. Dr. Jon DeClerck will step in and assume the role of EVP on July 1, 2025. It goes without saying that this is probably one of the biggest changes that can occur not only at the ASA, but in any organization. For our members and staff, it certainly can be a time for fear of the unknown, but it can also be a time of excitement. Bringing someone new in from the outside can not only bring a fresh face, but also new ideas and enthusiasm for our Association and members. Our Mission Statement has guided this Association since its inception and has proven to be the foundation of our success. I am confident that Dr. DeClerck will continue to uphold our core values and our mission statement as he takes over the reins from Dr. Shafer, and our great breed will continue to flourish. We can fear change and get paralyzed in the thoughts of what if or we can embrace change and look at it as new opportunities, new ideas, and new possibilities. The choice is ours to make.
