David J. Wright, President - Neligh, Nebraska

Occupation: Ranches in Ewing; owns JD Printing & Publishing in Neligh.

Operation: Wright is a fourth-generation rancher and his day-to-day operation includes a cow-calf operation with just enough grass to feed the cows and enough cows to eat the grass. He is proud his grandfather was a cattle-trader. Along with his son Isaac,the ranch hand, he backgrounds the calves to 600-700 lbs. Wright also sells hay.

What does ranching mean to Wright: " I love putting up hay; I like the baby calves in the spring and enjoy weaning them. There isn’t anything about ranching I don’t like. I’m a fourth generation rancher and my son Isaac is the fifth. I have a huge burden to those before me and my successors coming up to keep this business alive and well. If I don’t stand up for the independent rancher, who will? No one."

Family: Wife Joan operates the printing business with Dave and is also a Registered Nurse. She is the process of completing her certification to be an EMT teacher. Son Isaac has a degree from Southeast Technical College in Diesel Mechanics and works for an uncle as a diesel mechanic as well as helping in the ranching operation where he gets paid in beef. Daughter Katie just finished her first year at Dakota Wesleyan. Youngest daughter Hannah will be a sophomore next year at Neligh-Oakdale High School.

Wright’s thoughts on ICON: "I have been a part of many cattle organizations and in all of them, cow-calf operations are at the bottom of the totem pole. ICON is for the cow-calf producer and only the cow-calf producer; not huge feedlots and packing companies."

Chris Abbott , Past President - Gordon, NE

Occupation: Ranches in Cherry County, co-manages Abbott Cattle Company with brother Mike.

Operation: Commercial cow-calf operation; spring calving; weaned in October and calves are back-grounded for a short period; sold after first of year. The family operation hays about 5,000 round bales yearly and uses all in their cattle feeding. He is a fifth generation Nebraska rancher and continues the family ranching tradition his great-great grandfather Arthur began in the late 1890's.

What does ranching mean to Abbott: "Ranching means everything to me. I am a fifth generation rancher and it’s important to me to pass it on to the next generation just as it was passed on to me. It’s in my blood."

Family: Wife Kim is a constant helpmate on the ranch to Abbott and a full-time grandmother for the sixth generation of Abbotts: three granddaughters, ages 9 mos. to 2 years old. Abbott’s children are A.J. who is a corporate pilot, owns his own cows, is a shareholder in Abbot Cattle Co., and sometimes works on the ranch when not flying; Alicia, Carver, and families are both shareholders as well; Alicia’s husband is employed with a neighbor and Carver is employed with Abbot Cattle Co.

Abbott’s thoughts on ICON: "Everyone asked us why we started ICON. Why did we need another organization? All the existing beef organizations catered to the large entities. I believe we need an organization which represents the independent producer and that’s what ICON does."

Todd Adamson, Vice President - Hyannis, NE

INFORMATION COMING SOON

Tom Cooper, 2nd Vice President, Region 3 Director -        Ericson, NE

Occupation: Ag loan officer; involved in family ranch and cow-calf operation in Ericson.

Operation: Cooper's family ranch is a third generation operation on his side of the family and a fifth generation operation on wife Buffy's side of the family. Along with Cooper's cow-calf operation, he sells bawling calves.

What does ranching mean to Cooper: "There is no doubt, ranching is a way of life to me and a way I want to pass on to my family. Ranching and farming are a way of life people have been living over a large portion of Nebraska for many generations. I hope to continue in that proud tradition. I don't want to see the cattle industry in Nebraska go the way of corporate farming like the poultry and swine industries have. I am willing to fight for this way of life."

Family: Cooper shares his family ranching ideals with wife Buffy, a 2½ year old son, Cash, and looks forward to a new baby due in April.
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Cooper's thoughts on ICON: "I became involved in ICON because I was looking for an organization which represents the cow/calf sector and the smaller, independent feeder. I believe ICON does that. It supports the smaller operation and gives the small producer a voice against large cattle concentrations. The future looks good for ICON. We have nowhere to go but up and ICON will be whatever we make it."

Katie Meyer, Secretary, Region 4 Director-
        Randolph, NE

Occupation: Student, working toward second degree in Ag Education at UNL. Meyer graduated from South Dakota State University in May of 2009 with a Bachelor of Science degree in General Agriculture and previously earned an AAS degree in Animal Science from Nebraska Technical College in Curtis, NE.

Operation: Family-owned commercial cow-calf herd; sells weaning weight steers and keeps heifers for replacement. Meyer lives on family farm which has been in the family since 1914. She is a fourth generation to live on their farm and a fifth generation American. The family also contract feeds swine for one of largest swine producers in Nebraska. They also row crop corn, soybeans and alfalfa.

What does ranching mean to Meyer: "Farming is a way of life for me--- the only way I want to live. I plan on staying involved in the family farm and one day hope to make people realize how important farmers and ranchers are."

Family: Meyer has a daughter, Hallie, who joined us this past December. Meyer currently lives in Lincoln while attending school but frequently returns home to the farm where her parents and a brother and wife who are expecting a baby reside. All farm work is completed by family, siblings, and interaction in the neighborhood. Hired help is rarely contracted.

Meyer's thoughts on ICON: "ICON to me is the future and potential of the cattle business in Nebraska. ICON will do---and is doing right now---what needs to be done to keep farmers and ranchers successful. We need to continue to support the important issues for a better tomorrow."

Al Davis, Treasurer - Hyannis, NE

Occupation: Rancher in Cherry County

Operation: Cow-calf to finish.

INFORMATION COMING SOON

Rod Gray, Region 1 Director - Harrison, NE

Occupation: Rancher and breeder in Harrison

Operation: Registered Angus Breeder

What does Ranching Mean to Gray: "I have been involved in ranching/farming all my life. As a fifth generation rancher, I feel strongly about handing off the operation to the next generation. We have to find a way to get it done and I see getting involved politically as about the best way to to that."

Family: Rod and wife Laura have five children: four sons - Levi, Colt, Heath, Garrett,
and a daughter Naomi, who is married to Jeff Pelster. They are proud to be passing the ranching operation over to their children. Two sons are active in the day-to-day ranching chores, one son is a pilot, one son is in high school, and their daughter and husband are just now making the move back to dad's ranching tradition.

Gray's thoughts on Icon: "ICON to me is a grassroots sustainable organization and I have found it to be the only one in Nebraska. I like that. I think we need to take a stand to get things done today and get involved. People need to make a difference. It's easy to stay at home and do the work but everyone needs to keep our business and our farming industry alive. The Ag industry has dropped the ball really badly. We need to stand up and voice our opinions because we have a lot of ground to cover to catch up."

Rick VanderWey, Region 2 Director and Natural         Resources Chair- Valentine, NE

Occupation: Rancher with property in Valentine, Nebraska, and South Dakota

Operation: VanderWey is a fourth generation rancher in a cow-calf operation which uses Red Angus bulls for breeding. He weans and backgrounds his calves but also finishes a portion of the calf crop through a custom feeder. He is also a member of South Dakota Stockgrowers.

What does ranching mean to VanderWey: "Ranching is my whole life. To me, it is the greatest occupation in the world. It's not like a factory job where you do the same thing everyday. Everyday I do something different. I feel it is a very honorable occupation. Think about it - we feed the world."

Family: Wife Kitty has homeschooled their four children for the past three years. The oldest son, Ethan will be attending a Christian boarding school this fall which will be a new experience for the family. The three other children, Brayden, a seventh grader, Sadie, a first grader, and Mikah, 3 years old, will continue their lessons with Mom.

VanderWey's thoughts on ICON: "I am a proud member of R-CALF USA and when ICON started up as a R-CALF state affiliate, I wanted to support the state organization. ICON is working to protect the interests and rights of ranchers in Nebraska. I finally started getting involved in politics when I felt people were not protecting the rights of cattlemen. They seemed to be protecting other segments of the cattle industry but not the cow/calf operation. Policies were passed and laws were set and no one represented my interests. It is too easy to sit at home and complain. I made a conscious decision I needed to get involved or I was part of the problem. I got active and want to stay active so I can be part of the solution."