Chris Abbott - Gordon, Nebraska

Chris attended the University of Nebraska in Lincoln before coming home to the sandhills and taking over the management and operating responsibilities on their family owned ranch north of Hyannis, NE.

Chris married his wife Kim in 1977 and they have three children. A.J. is involved with Aeronautics Aviation in Kearney. Alicia is finishing her first year teaching Computer Business at Cambridge High school, and is married to Adam Clark. Carver recently graduated from Hastings College with an Associate's degree in Building Construction.

Chris has been involved with the Pickett vs.Tyson class action lawsuit concerning packer ban on ownership of cattle for the last several years. His participation has made him realize that the independent cattle producer's voice has not been heard across the industry for quite some time.

He has become a strong proponent for R-CALF USA and is presently Nebraska's state membership chair for R-CALF. Chris, along with the other original directors, are co-founders of Independent Cattlemen of Nebraska, a state cattlemen's organization that is affiliated with R-CALF.

Chris and Kim co-manage the family ranch with brother Mike.

Louis Day - Valentine, NE

My name is Louis Day. My wife, Pam and I have two sons, Quentin Samuel (Sam for short) is 15 and is a freshman at Valentine Rural High School. Zachery is 9 and a half and is a third grader at Kewanee country school.

I was raised in Wheeler County, went to High School at Wheeler Central and attended College in Curtis.

Pam was raised in southern Cherry County in the Brownlee area, graduated from Thedford High School and attended college at Hastings and Lincoln.

I've been involved in the cattle Industry pretty much since birth and have depended on my cows, with day working and summer jobs, for a living since high school.

Right now we live Northeast of Valentine and run our cows wherever we can find affordable feed, or until we can find a place to lease, buy, or manage. It sometimes means rather far distances but we decided that with the boys in school it was better to try to make the cows work with me going to them, rather then bouncing the boys all over from school to school.

I'd like to thank the other directors for the opportunity to be the director for Region 2 of the Independent Cattlemen of Nebraska. I've always been more comfortable staying at home, making sure that the work gets done so that somebody else could take care of the meetings and public attendence, but I've come to realize that this is the very thing that could limit my boys' chance at a future in the cattle business. I look forward to working for the organization and cattlemen in my region and across the state.

Rod Gray- Harrison, NE

Tom Cooper- Ericson, NE

Tom is an agricultural and commercial loan officer for TierOne Bank of the Ord and Burwell area. Tom attended the University Of Nebraska at Lincoln before marrying his wife, Buffy, in 2004. Buffy grew up near Kilgore and is a cosmetologist in Burwell. Tom and Buffy have one infant son, Cash. The Coopers live between Ericson and Burwell and are actively involved in agriculture.

John O'Dea - McCook, NE

John O'Dea is a fourth generation rancher and cattle feeder from
rural McCook. With his wife Michelle and their sons Adam, John G., and Jake, they operate a cow-calf operation and a small feedyard.

John is also employed with Tri-State Livestock of McCook as a yard man and field representative.

The boys raise registered Angus bulls and Michelle runs a
federally inspected kennel. The O'Dea's are members of St. John's Lutheran Church of rural McCook.

Al Davis - Hyannis, Nebraska

Jim Hanna - Brownlee, NE

Jim and his wife Shirley, along with their children Megan and Seth, represent the fifth and sixth generation to own and operate Pass Ranch over the past one hundred years. Before returning to the ranch full time, Jim received his Bachelor's and Master's degrees in geography and spent 4 years working in a government mapping facility in St. Louis, Missouri.

Jim has been involved in many civic and industry organizations including the local high school board, the Greenbelt Advisory Committee, and the Nebraska Cattlemen. During his service with the Cattlemen, he served as Chairman of the Taxation Committee and as an officer, culminating with the Presidency during 2003.

Katie Meyer - Randolph, NE

David J. Wright - Neligh, Nebraska