Brenda Reau, a sheep producer from Petersburg, Mich., was recently appointed to the National Sheep Industry Improvement Center board of directors by USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue.

Two others were also named: Jeremy Geske, a sheep producer from New Prague, Minn., and Steve Lewis, an expert in marketing from Artesia, N.M.

“The Sheep Center was established to improve the competitiveness of the U.S. sheep industry and these appointees bring experience that will serve this agricultural sector well,” Perdue says.

The board is composed of seven voting members and two non-voting members. Voting members of the board include four members who are active producers of sheep in the United States, two members that have expertise in finance and management, and one member that has expertise in lamb, wool or lamb product marketing. Non-voting members of the board include USDA undersecretaries for Marketing and Regulatory Programs and Research, Education, and Economics. USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service provides oversight of the center.

Source: USDA