Speakers
Brian McCulloh
Woodhill Angus, Founder and Veteran Angus Breeder
Brian McCulloh was born and raised on a diversified family farm near DeWitt, Iowa. He graduated from Iowa State University in 1981 with a degree in animal science. Upon graduation, Brian and his wife Lori headed to Blacksburg, Virginia, where he attended graduate school before working as director of junior activities with the American Angus Association. Later, the McCullohs moved to Viroqua, Wisconsin, in February of 1984 and joined the Borgen family to establish a registered Angus operation. As a first-generation Angus breeder for over 40 years, Brian has developed and marketed the Woodhill brand of registered Angus seedstock. The McCullohs have three grown children and six grandchildren. In the fall of 2023, the entire Woodhill herd was sold to one entity in northwest Illinois. The McCullohs continue living on the farm.
Dallas Knobloch
4K Cattle LLC, Owner and Operator
Dallas Knobloch owns and operates 4K Cattle LLC, consisting of a feedyard and cow/calf operation, along with his family near Hills, Minnesota. After graduating from the University of Minnesota with a Bachelor’s in agronomy, he spent five years working in agronomy retail. At the first opportunity, he returned home to farm with his father and owned his first pen of cattle in the early 2000s. Since then, he has continued to grow the operation. When his son returned to the farm, they expanded by establishing 4K Cattle. Their goal is to produce high-quality, premium beef with a story–it encompasses a seedstock producer from western South Dakota to retailers in Minnesota. Dallas is a board member of the local Rock Nobles Cattlemen Association and currently serves as feeder chair for the Minnesota State Cattlemen’s Association.
Dan Basse
AgResource Company, President
Dan Basse serves as president of AgResource Company, a domestic and international agricultural research firm located in Chicago. A commodity economist since 1979, Dan forecasts domestic and world agricultural price trends and provides information and research to farmers, elevators, soy and corn processors, wheat millers, food companies, trading companies, importers, exporters, and meatpackers. Raised on a dairy/grain farm in Waukesha, Wisconsin, Dan has a keen sense of production agriculture and graduated from the University of Wisconsin, Madison with a master’s in agriculture economics. In 1988, Dan founded AgResource, a company to serve the market research needs of the world agricultural community, often holding global conferences in Canada, Switzerland, and Brazil.
David O’Diam
Certified Angus Beef, Vice President of Retail
David O’Diam is the vice president of retail for Certified Angus Beef. In this role, he develops and guides strategies and services that help retail partners succeed across the U.S. He works alongside these retailers and the brand’s staff to provide customer-driven merchandising, training and marketing programs. He also plays a lead role in the brand’s meat training programs. Prior to joining the company, David earned a master’s degree in meat science at The Ohio State University and managed its meat science lab.
Jason Rowntree
Michigan State University, Animal Science Professor
Jason Rowntree is a professor of animal science at Michigan State University, where he holds the Charles Stewart Mott Distinguished Professorship for Sustainable Agriculture. Rowntree’s research focuses on identifying the metrics and management that reflect ecological improvement in grazingland and other agricultural systems. Jason has given presentations and conducted research throughout the United States, Australia, Canada, Europe, Saudi Arabia, Africa and New Zealand. He has led or been a co-investigator on $27.75 million in funding to conduct food system research. Jason is also the co-director of the Center for Regenerative Agriculture at Michigan State University. His work in beef sustainability was featured in the movies Sacred Cow and Roots So Deep. His work has been highlighted in The Washington Post, New York Times, Forbes and many other popular media publications.
John Stika
Certified Angus Beef, President
As president of Certified Angus Beef, John Stika leads a team dedicated to marketing the Certified Angus Beef ® brand to partners and consumers across the globe. Connecting people from pasture to plate, the brand leverages the strong demand for branded beef to increase the value of registered Angus cattle. John grew up on his family’s small farm in central Kansas. He obtained his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in animal science and meat science, respectively, at Kansas State University, and then his doctorate in meat science from the University of Kentucky. John joined the team as assistant director of feeder-packer relations in 1999, and then director of supply development and packing. Moving on to vice president of business development, he led efforts to collaborate with domestic and international distributors, grocery stores and restaurants to grow their beef sales before becoming president in 2006.
Kelli Retallick-Riley
Angus Genetics Inc., President
Kelli Retallick-Riley currently serves as the president of Angus Genetics Inc. (AGI), a subsidiary of the American Angus Association® where she leads the company’s genetic evaluation technology and research programs. Retallick-Riley previously served as the served as the director of genetic and genomic programs and the director of genetic service at AGI. Kelli is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and earned her master’s degree at Kansas State University where she also worked closely with scientists at the US Meat Animal Research Center in Nebraska.
Kirsten Nickles
Certified Angus Beef, Animal Care and Sustainability Scientist
Growing up on her family’s Ohio farm, Kirsten Nickles developed a passion for agriculture and raising cattle with care. She pursued pre-vet studies at Capital University and earned master’s and doctorate degrees in animal sciences at The Ohio State University. Today, as a sustainability and animal care scientist at Certified Angus Beef, Kirsten leads the brand’s sustainability initiatives and serves as a technical expert for staff and customers. She works to improve the future of beef production by validating cattle care, measuring environmental impact and sharing ranchers’ dedication to humane animal care and climate-friendly practices with food business leaders and consumers.
Paul Dykstra
Certified Angus Beef, Director of Supply Management & Analysis
As the director of supply management and analysis, Paul Dykstra works with cattlemen to help garner a growing supply of the Certified Angus Beef ® brand. He shares information and builds relationships with cattle feeders, commercial cow-calf producers and registered breeders, pointing to ways to profitably manage and market high-quality cattle. Before coming to the brand, Paul was the feedlot manager for the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center. During his 20-year tenure he has audited ranches and feedyards pursuing the brand’s Natural product extension. He’s the brand’s resident expert on beef market and grading trends, which he reports in the bi-weekly CAB Insider. Paul and his family live in Chappell, Nebraska, where he manages his own cow herd.
Ryan Taylor
Ducks Unlimited, Director of Public Policy
Ryan Taylor is the director of public policy for Ducks Unlimited in the states of North Dakota, South Dakota, and Montana. He works closely with state policymakers in the three states, consults on federal conservation issues in DC, and has a special interest in agricultural public policy that helps align the goals of farmers, ranchers, sportsmen and women, and conservationists in voluntary, working lands habitat conservation. Ryan continues to own and manage his family’s cattle ranch and an Angus-based cow herd near Towner, N.D. He wrote a column called Cowboy Logic that ran in agricultural newspapers across the western U.S. and Canada for 21 years, and he did professional after-dinner speaking in the same region. Ryan served in the North Dakota State Senate for 10 years and was appointed to serve as state director for USDA Rural Development, making critical infrastructure investments and low interest loans in rural North Dakota. He graduated from North Dakota State University with degrees in Agricultural Economics and Mass Communications. He currently serves on the board of directors for Starion Bank and the State Historical Society of North Dakota Foundation. He is a recent past board member for ND Farmers Union, Farmers Union Insurance and Agraria Restaurants, as well as numerous other local and state organizations.
Travis Thomas
Upper Iowa Beef, Procurement Manager
Travis Thomas, a graduate of Iowa State University with a degree in animal science, serves as Procurement Manager at Upper Iowa Beef. With deep roots in the cattle industry and rural Iowa, Travis focuses on producer relationships, cattle procurement, and supporting operational growth at the plant. His work is centered on building trust with independent producers and ensuring a consistent supply of high-quality cattle. Apart from Upper Iowa Beef, Travis connects ranchers in Montana, South Dakota, and Wyoming with tools to retain and share carcass data on feeder calves to better understand performance outcomes and provide opportunities to capture more value.
Troy and Stacy Hadrick
Hadrick Ranch, Owners
Raised in rural South Dakota, Troy and Stacy Hadrick are fifth-generation ranchers. Along with their three children—Teigen, Olivia, and Reese—the Hadricks take pride in raising great beef that connects them with great people. For the Hadricks, community also comes in the form of strong partnerships. The ranch has several restaurant partners in Sioux Falls and across South Dakota, giving first-time customers an exciting opportunity to taste the premium flavor of Hadrick Ranch beef.
Troy grew up showing cattle in 4-H and spent time on the Meat Judging Team at South Dakota State University. His role on the team opened his eyes to the beef industry and the value of high-quality beef production.
Stacy grew up on a cow/calf ranch and graduated from South Dakota State University with a double major in Ag Economics and Ag Business. You can find her on the ranch feeding cattle, preparing breeding supplies and bookkeeping.