The Iowa Beef Industry Council board of directors selected Mike Anderson of Ames to lead the Iowa Beef Checkoff as executive director.

Anderson comes to the beef council after 17 years with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach where he served as program manager of 4-H Agriculture and Natural Resources. Anderson is experienced in personnel and program management through his background in coordinating 4-H livestock superintendents and shows at the Iowa State Fair, implementing Iowa 4-H online enrollment and identification programs and hosting several state 4-H events and activities.

“My previous experiences working with youth and adults have been really rewarding and eye-opening. I have seen firsthand how 4-H and FFA youth are more removed from the farm than ever before, and would like to use this role as an opportunity to share the importance of agriculture with consumers and tying that back to beef production. I am a firm believer in building a strong team, and I look forward to working with staff, board members and stakeholders to execute programs that help share the story of Iowa’s beef industry,” Anderson says.

“We are excited for Mike Anderson to come on as our new executive director,” says Dan Hanrahan, a beef producer from Cumming, Iowa, and IBIC chair. “We feel his emphasis of a team approach will mesh well with our group of volunteer leaders and professional staff working to support our mission of expanding consumer demand for beef, strengthening beef’s position in the global marketplace and improving producer profitability.

"We represent more than 25,000 operations here in the state and contribute to it over $6 billion in economic activity. As a team, we can continue to produce the most desired protein anywhere and do so as excellent stewards of the land and animals entrusted to us, ensuring sustainability for our operations, our land and our communities,” Hanrahan adds.

Anderson is a graduate of Iowa State University with a master’s degree in animal science. He has been an advocate for agriculture his entire life, having played an active role on his family’s farming operation in Garner, Iowa. Anderson has three children: Delaney, Avery and Colin.

Source: Iowa Beef Industry Council