National
Meeting Recognizes Importance of State Beef Councils
“We want to strengthen the Division of State Beef Councils,” says Williams,
who was named to the national position in February. In that position, Williams
chairs the division comprised of the 45 state beef councils which plan and
oversee the use of the checkoff monies.
Williams explains that the recent U.S. Supreme Court case testing the
constitutionality of the beef checkoff helped reinforce the important role state
beef councils play. “State beef councils have played a role in the beef
checkoff for 40 years, but the court case helped us realize what an important
asset state beef councils are to the checkoff program and we need to strengthen
that.”
Changes will begin in September when state directors join state council
executives for demand strategy sessions. These meetings provide an opportunity
to strengthen the state/national coordinated effort to meet the challenges of
the consumer marketplace, today and tomorrow.
In
addition, state beef councils will hold their own meeting during the NCBA and
CBB annual meeting in February. “In the past, state beef councils didn’t
have a forum of their own in which to meet and discuss issues,” says Williams.
“This meeting will allow better communication and more input—giving state
beef council representatives a chance to visit one-on-one with national staff
and officers.”
The
idea was tested during the July meeting, where a listening session with state
beef council representatives was held. “These smaller groups are where the
rubber hits the road,” states Williams, who also serves as a director of the
South Dakota Beef Industry Council (SDBIC). “In these smaller groups
individuals have the ability to give greater input.”
In
other business, the CBB voted to move $2 million out of the national checkoff
program’s reserve fund for the coming year and into funding for promotion,
research and information program budgets. “The CBB has maintained a
$5-million-reserve for several years,” says Williams, explaining that with the
recent Supreme Court ruling in favor of the beef checkoff, CBB directors felt
comfortable taking out of that reserve fund to spend on programs that will be
actively working for producers.
The
court ruling, he explains, had a definite impact on the recent meeting. “We
can now concentrate on long-term programs,” Williams adds. “We had a strong
meeting with lots of input and great attendance.”
The
SDBIC, which collects the beef checkoff in