International Brangus Breeders Association Installs New Board Members for 2011

San Antonio, TX, April 02, 2011 --(PR.com)-- Mr. Ronald “Ron” Coy Flake of Ecru, MS is a retired chemical engineer with a lifetime affiliation with beef cattle and for the past twenty-two years has been a registered Brangus breeder. He and his wife Janet Mills Flake have been married for twenty-two years and have three children ages 19, 18 and 15. Anna Claire is in her second year of pharmacy school. Ethan is a freshman on a baseball scholarship at a local junior college. Whit is a sophomore in high school and Ron’s right hand on the farm. Ron has a special interest in the genetics of the breed and a belief in the ability to pull two top genetics from two breeds to make a superior breed. Ron’s Area 2 covers Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi.

Mr. Cody Gariss of Lamar, MO co-owns and operates his family’s diversified cattle operation in Lamar. The Gariss Ranch consists of approximately 50 registered Brangus cows, 400 commercial Brangus females and they market nearly 1000 yearlings annually. As a youth, Cody was very active in 4-H and FFA exhibiting cattle at local, state and national levels. He attended and graduated with honors from Missouri State University where he was president of the Collegiate Farm Bureau, Block and Bridle and managed an annual purebred sale of Angus and Charolais females. After graduation, Cody returned home to join his father and grandfather in the family operation. He still assists junior 4-H and FFA members with their individual livestock projects and has the opportunity to judge numerous local and regional shows throughout the state. He also served on the Board of the Barton County Farm Bureau and treasurer of the Barton County F.A.R.M. committee. Cody and his wife Emily are members of the Milford Christian Church. He has great interest in the Brangus breed, maintaining and continuing to improve its integrity. Cody will serve Area 3, which consists of North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas and Nebraska.

Mr. Don Cox has been in the Brangus business for 28 years, has served on the IBBA Board of Directors for three years and this last year as president. He has also served on several Association committees including, Breed Improvement, Show Advisory, International and chair of Membership & Education and Finance Committees. He has been a strong supporter of the IBBA Global Brangus RoundUp International hosted program, which follows the annual Convention in Houston. In 2006, he was awarded the IBBA Breeder of the Year Award. He also serves on the TBBA Board of Directors and is a member of the NCBA. Don graduated from Sam Houston State University with a degree in Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing. He is currently Chairman of the Cox Global Associates, Inc., a Registered Investment Advisory Business and for the past fifteen years as business manager of the Board of Trustees for his church. His is also active in community of Katy, TX but his involvement in the cattle business is his passion and his desire is to grow the Brangus breed, and expand membership services. He is grateful to the always present support system of his wife, Gina and their children, Cayla, Cody, Conner, and Courtney for allowing him the time to pursue his passion for the cattle business. Time for Don is at a premium because the entire family is actively involved in school and/or church, which the family supports as a group. Don was re-elected to Area 7, which consists of Texas and New Mexico.

Mr. Charles M. “Mike” Burke of Waynesboro, GA became involved in the beef industry as a teen in the mid-60s when his father purchased 20 Angus heifers. His chief responsibilities at the time were fence mender and cow chaser. After decades of helping his father, in 2002 he started his own herd and purchased 40 Angus x Brangus cows and named his farm, Burke Brangus Farm. No doubt, he knew the direction he would take. Currently, he owns 26 registered Brangus including a great potential herd sire and Garrett son, Chattooga 289U2. Mike is Region 9 Vice President for the Georgia Cattleman’s Association and serves as on the Board for the Burke County Cattlemen’s Association and the Georgia Brangus Breeders Association plus the Southeast Brangus Breeders Association. He has been involved with cattle associations since the mid-80s. Mike has a Bachelors Degree in Civil Engineering Technology from Southern Technical Institute in Marietta, GA, which was a part of Georgia Tech. In 2008, he retired to devote full time attention to the cattle operation and help increase the cattle numbers while maintaining its integrity. He and his wife Susan have four children – 2 boys and 2 girls. Mike Burke serves Area 11 consisting of the states within the Eastern Time Zone.

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