NBC Leadership Changes in the New Year
With the new year upon us, the Nevada Beef Council (NBC) team offers a grateful farewell to long-time member Gary Ward, and a warm welcome to rancher Keri Pommerening who joins the board this year.
Ward had been a member of the NBC since 2014, and served as chair since 2015. Prior to joining the NBC, he had long served on boards at the local, state and national level, and his interest in how Beef Checkoff dollars were invested and what programs they supported led to him applying to the Council. After hitting the ground running learning about the structure of the NBC and Beef Checkoff, Ward quickly rose to leadership positions, steering the organization through some difficult budgetary years.
“One of the challenges we face as State Beef Councils, particularly in Nevada, is not having a consistent revenue stream from year-to-year, which can lead to tough budget decisions that need to be made,” said Bill Dale, Executive Director of the California and Nevada beef councils. “Gary was able to navigate the NBC through some of those challenges, and provided support and leadership to the staff that made our jobs enjoyable and a bit easier in the tougher years. He was an excellent chairman and board member, and the entire NBC team appreciates his years of commitment to our industry.”
“In the five years that I served as chairman, we had some good years and really tough years,” notes Ward. “I was proud of the council for doing what was right in investing the producer’s dollar wisely. I felt like we were able to get the most for our money. Thank you to the staff and board for the wonderful experience of being a part of the Nevada Beef Council.”
As Gary Ward departs the NBC, new council member Keri Pommerening joins the organization. Pommerening, who currently ranches with four generations of her family in the heart of western Nevada, is also a former teacher and active member of the Nevada CattleWomen. The NBC is pleased to welcome her to the board, and will provide additional background and introduction in next month’s column.
With these changes already confirmed, there is also opportunity for other producers who may be interested in joining the Nevada Beef Council. The NBC is currently accepting applications for three board seats that will become available this May. One of the available board seats represents the dairy sector, and the other two represent the cow-calf sector in both the Western and Eastern regions of Nevada. Beef producers representing these sectors who are interested in serving as a council member must submit an application by April 30.
The council meets three times annually – twice in person, and once via conference call. Council members provide feedback, guidance and input on the activities and programs of the NBC. Applications are available at nevadabeef.org, or call 877-554-BEEF (2333) to request one to be mailed or e-mailed to you.
Beef Returns to Broadcast TV for Holiday Season
For the first time since 2003, Beef Checkoff-funded advertisements and the iconic Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. brand returned to broadcast television, with more than 50 commercials airing on the Hallmark Channel during the holiday season. With holidays looking a little different this year, the campaign sought to ensure one thing remained the same for families across the country – that BEEF was for holiday dinners.
For the 2019 holiday season, the Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. brand successfully released the “Drool Log” – a two-hour long video of a beef prime rib roast slowly cooking over an open flame, intended to replace the popular “Yule Log” during holiday gatherings. The video created quite a following with more than 14 million views. In 2020, a newer and shorter version of the Drool Log was created for an ad campaign focusing on holiday programming.
Just prior to Thanksgiving and running all through New Year’s Day, the
Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. Drool Log TV commercial aired on the Hallmark Channel as part of its “Countdown to Christmas” holiday programming event, with ads airing during highly popular timeframes, such as movie premier showings, the Thanksgiving Day movie marathon, and the Countdown to Christmas weekend spotlight.
In addition to the television commercials, a new landing page was created at
BeefItsWhatsForDinner.com/cooking/holidays sharing the original Drool Log video, holiday recipes and menu inspiration, tips for cutting a prime rib roast, and more. Also, an additional video reminded people that beef farmers and ranchers across the country were behind the season’s
holiday gatherings.
To learn more about this and other recent checkoff-funded efforts, visit:
BeefItsWhatsForDinner.com/newsroom
By Nevada Beef Council Staff