A Legacy of Leadership

By Lindsey Sawin

From the very first meeting on May 18, 1967, at the Holiday Inn West in Amarillo—where 10 men gathered around a table to discuss forming a cattle feeders association—the Texas Cattle Feeders Association has been guided by visionary leaders willing to show up, share ideas, discuss issues and provide solutions.

To help prepare future leaders, TCFA established its Leadership Program in 1990. Since its inception, 76 individuals from the fed cattle industry in Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico have participated. Many have gone on to serve the association, including as chairman of the board of directors.

Individuals between the ages of 25 and 40 are identified and nominated by their peers for the program. Each year, the TCFA executive committee selects two to three participants from the pool of nominees.

Those selected spend a year studying the workings of the cattle feeding industry and other organizations. Participants attend the TCFA Board and Leadership Orientation, join the Young Cattlemen’s Conference, attend one Texas Agricultural Lifetime Leadership session and go to the TCFA Annual Convention.

Together, these experiences give participants a firsthand look at the inner workings of the cattle industry while connecting them with other leaders.

​“I met a lot of new people, learned about different facets of the industry and learned about policy,” said 2025 leadership participant Matt Quinn with Melissa Feeders and TELUS Agriculture, where he works as a nutritionist. “I have learned how TCFA leadership drives a lot of policies and bridges the gap between industry and the government.”

Meeting industry leaders from across the country provides lasting benefits, both professionally and
within TCFA. The program encourages candid discussions about challenges facing the industry and differing perspectives on policy.

“The networking was important to help set policy and be involved in that process within the industry,” said 2011 leadership participant Levi Berry, Past TCFA Chairman in 2019 and Operations Manager of Smith Cattle Co. “The other thing is knowing those guys and visiting with them to see what the challenges they are facing are and why they have the stance they have, trying to understand the position they have rather than just being opposed to it.”

Participants are also exposed to TCFA’s advocacy efforts, including meetings with senators and
representatives to support or oppose policies affecting cattle feeding.

“It was really, really eye opening for me when I was in Washington D.C. talking to representatives, everyone expected TCFA to take the lead,” Quinn said.

The program also provides perspective on why leadership development is essential to the association’s future.

“An organization is only as good as its members and the leadership of that organization is only as good as the leaders you develop from within,” Quinn said. “I think it’s imperative TCFA continues to support and develop leaders within the cattle feeding industry so we can then go out and be leaders across multiple facets of the beef cattle industry. TCFA has done a phenomenal job of that over the years and earned the reputation as leaders within the industry.”

Leadership development extends beyond TCFA, influencing participants’ roles in their communities and careers.

“I was encouraged to step forward and take on more leadership roles outside of just TCFA,” Quinn said.” It allowed me to develop and understand what it takes to be a leader in the industry and what it takes to be a leader in our organization or organizations outside of the cattle feeding industry.”

As participants advance, the program instills confidence and a sense of responsibility to give back to the association.

“It is flattering to be nominated by your peers to be an officer in the organization,” Berry said. “I guess I kind of had the mindset that I was one of the young guys looking up to the more seasoned members of the organization and somewhere along the way you figure out that you’re not a young guy anymore and it is your opportunity to give back to the organization that has afforded you so many opportunities.”

That responsibility often extends to supporting the broader cattle feeding industry.

“It changed my perspective on how I view leadership and what it takes to be a strong leader,” Quinn said. “It gives you more of a sense of responsibility to things that you don’t directly have control over, you can still demonstrate leadership outside of being the one that is directly leading that group.”

The impact of the program also reaches future generations of industry professionals.

“Over time, it has become important for me to meet the young people who are coming up in the industry and organization to try to connect with them and meet them just like I was trying to do twenty-five years ago,” Berry said. “I wanted to become part of the industry and get to know some of the leadership. Now it is a personal sense of obligation to stay involved and meet those younger guys to help any way I can to put them on a path to be successful.”

In addition to leadership development, the program prepares participants to serve as advocates for the cattle feeding industry.

“The other component is the importance of that leadership when it comes to being a voice for the
industry,” Quinn said. “Whether that is sitting on a plane next to somebody who doesn’t have any
knowledge of beef cattle production or food production or it is talking to the media or someone on
social media or a policy maker, it changed my perspective to be more willing to engage and have
responsibility for promoting the industry across the board.”

Over the past 36 years, TCFA members and staff have identified and developed young leaders who have played an integral role in shaping policy and ensuring the long-term vitality of cattle feeding in Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico. As TCFA continues to invest in leadership development, the association remains well-positioned for the future.

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