The Minnesota Beef Council has announced Kelly Schmidt as its new CEO.
As CEO, Schmidt will serve as the liaison between Minnesota Beef Council and the Minnesota State Cattlemen’s Association, as well as managing the staff, board of directors, beef checkoff programming and budget of the council.
He comes to the position, which is set to begin in mid-July, after teaching agribusiness as a professor at South Central College in Mankato. His resume includes being a field representative for the American Simmental Association and working in sales of animal nutrition for Cargill and in marketing and management in the professional cattle sales industry.
“I am really excited to work with Minnesota's beef farmers and ranchers in doing everything we can to grow beef demand," Schmidt said. "We have dedicated people, producing a healthy, great tasting product.”
Schmidt's family has roots in the seedstock cattle business and now owns the Double E Cattle Company, in which they raise Simmental and SimAngus cattle marketing females and bulls throughout the Midwest. The family also exhibits cattle at state and national shows.
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Schmidt, a graduate of the University of Minnesota, is a member of the executive committee for the Minnesota Beef Expo, as well as serving on the Minnesota Simmental Association Board. He also assists with 4-H youth livestock programs near New Ulm, Minn. He and his wife, Sarah, are parents of three young daughters who enjoy raising cattle and showing heifers.
“Kelly brings years of experience to this role, and we are excited for him to use his passion and knowledge to advance our organization’s initiatives,” said Mark Malecek, chairman of the Minnesota Beef Council.
For more than 50 years, the Minnesota Beef Council has a history of working on behalf of beef farmers and ranchers to conduct research, education and promotional programming about the industry and its products.
The Minnesota State Cattlemen's Association is a membership-based groups that represents cattle farmers and the cattle community in Minnesota.
