OUR MISSION The mission of the Wyoming Stock Growers Association is to serve the livestock business and families of Wyoming by protecting their economic, legislative, regulatory, judicial, environmental, custom, and cultural interests. OUR STAFF Jim Magagna, Executive Vice President Jim is a native of Rock Springs and a lifelong sheep rancher in southwestern Wyoming. He has served as President of the American Sheep Industry Association and President of the National Public Lands Council. He has represented agriculture on numerous national, state and local councils and advisory boards. Prior to assuming the position of Executive Vice President of WSGA, he served as Director of the Wyoming Office of State Lands and Investments. Vera Lightfoot, Office Manager Vera was born and raised in Kemmerer, Wyoming. She and her husband Michael moved to Cheyenne in July of 1998 to be closer to their daughters who live in Fort Collins, CO. The Lightfoot’s have two daughters, two grand-daughters and one grand-son. Vera joined the Wyoming Stock Growers in January of 1999. Kosha Olsen, Communications Director Kosha was born and raised on a farm/rach outside of Albin, Wyoming. She attended college at Northwest College in Powell, Wyoming and Kean University in Union, New Jersey and earned a B.A. in Communications. After working for two years on a ranch in the Nebraska Sandhills, she moved to Cheyenne in August of 2003 in order to marry her husband Brian. She began working at the Stock Growers Association in October of 2003. WSGA OFFICER TEAM From left: Rob Hellyer, Neils Hansen, Garret Falkenberg, Jon Kirkbride, Frank Shepperson, Ogden Driskill, Rodger Schroeder OUR OFFICERS Jon Kirkbride – President Jon Kirkbride is a fourth generation rancher from Meriden and a partner in Harding & Kirkbride Livestock Co. Harding & Kirkbride is a cow-calf and yearling operation, parts of which were homesteaded by his forefathers in 1889. Jon has been a chairman of numerous WSGA committees including Tax, Legislative and Marketing and was a part-time lobbyist for the organization for several years. He spent 16 years on his local school board of trustees, was Wyoming School Board Association President and served on the State Board of Education. He was an original member of the Wyoming Business Council, is a past Vice-President of the Wyoming Taxpayers’ Association and a member of the Wyoming Business Alliance steering committee. Jon feels it is important to give back to his community, his industry and his state. “I feel WSGA is a very necessary organization,” Jon says. “It can focus its efforts specifically on the issues that affect all aspects of ranch life.” His goals for the organization are to help see that it is on solid footing financially, to help heal the divisiveness in the industry, to provide useful information to members and have a good time doing it. Frank Shepperson - First Vice President Shepperson Ranch Co. has been ranching in Wyoming for well over 100 years. They are a range operation running cows, calves and some yearlings. Frank and his family are the 6th generation on the ranch now. Frank was the 2nd Vice-President of the Wyoming Stock Growers Association in 1992-1994. “WSGA is Wyoming’s largest agricultural industry representative in all local and national affairs,” Frank says. “I will help WSGA represent productivity and keep Wyoming Agriculture a viable and profitable business.” Ogden Driskill – Region I Vice President (Sheridan, Johnson, Crook, Campbell & Weston Counties) Ogden is a 6th generation rancher (5 in Wyoming). His family trailed one of the early trail herds into Cheyenne in 1871 from Texas, and eventually located in Crook County in 1880. Ogden, his wife Rosanne and three children (Andrea, Katerie and Lincoln), operate the Campstool Ranch at the base of Devil’s Tower in Northeastern Wyoming. Ogden is a lifelong rancher, only being away from the ranch while attending Casper College and the University of Wyoming. Ogden and his family have been, and are currently, involved in several other business ventures as well as involving vegetation management, tourism and mining. He is presently the President of the Wyoming Stock Growers Agricultural Land Trust and serves on the Crook County Irrigation Board. He is a lifetime member of the WSGA. He has served on many boards and commissions in the past, and was a member of the Wyoming LEAD class IV. Rodger Schroeder – Region II Vice President (Albany, Platte, Goshen & Laramie Counties) Rodger and his wife, Lindy, ranch southwest of Chugwater in Laramie and Platte counties. They run a Gelbvieh/Angus cow-calf operation, selling the steer calves in the fall and retaining replacement heifer calves. There is limited hay ground so additional alfalfa hay is purchased. The ranch is a family operation, with daughter, Tricia and husband, Jeff helping full time. Daughter, Holly and husband, Will, live in Wheatland and help when they are available. Rodger and Lindy represent the fourth generation on the family ranch homesteaded by Lindy’s great-grandfather, Donald McDonald in the 1880’s. The McDonald Ranch was recognized as a Centennial Ranch in 1990 and is also on the National Register of Historic Places. As an active member of the Wyoming Stock Growers Association since 1989, Rodger has chaired and co-chaired the Private Lands Committee. He believes the association takes on the challenges to protect our rights and our industry with a collective voice from its members. Garrett Falkenburg – Region III Vice President (Natrona, Converse & Niobrara Counties) Garret is a third generation rancher in southern converse County with the next generation following close on his heels. Along with his wife and son, they own a small summer calving operation along with a backgrounding feedlot. They flood irrigate native and alfalfa hay and raise oats when the weather cooperates. They are active in conservation practices and sound management for rangeland. Neils Hansen– Region IV Vice President (Teton, Sublette, Lincoln, Uinta, Sweetwater & Carbon Counties) Niels is third generation on the family ranch in Rawlins. They currently run a cow-calf and stocker operation and finish some cattle in feedlots in Colorado and Nebraska. Neils has chaired the Federal Lands Committee and the Wildlife and Predator Committee for WSGA; is one of the Carbon County representatives to the WSGA Board of Directors, and Past President of the Carbon County Stock Growers. He has been a representative from WSGA to NCBA and currently serves as one of Wyoming’s representatives to NPLC. Currently he is completing his term as the cattle representative on the Wyoming Animal Damage Management Board and is serving as Chairman of the Wyoming State Grazing Board. In 2000 their ranch won the Rangeland Management Stewardship Award from Wyoming Bureau of Land Management and in 2004 was Co-Winner of the Wyoming Stock Growers Environmental Stewardship Award. Rob Hellyer – Region V Vice President (Park, Big Horn, Washakie, Hot Springs & Fremont Counties) Rob grew up near Tacoma, Washington and came to Lander in 1963. He has one year at the University of Wyoming, was in the outfitting business for 13 years and spent 2 years in the U.S. Army. He married Martha Newbury in 1967 and now has 3 grown and married children and 9 grandchildren. He and Martha bought their ranch in Lyons Valley in 1972. Their two boys, Jim and George, are active in the ranch, and their daughter Jessica and her family live on the ranch. He has been the beneficiary of great and supportive neighbors in Lander, South Pass, and Crowheart since coming to Lander. He enjoys the fellowship and issues that come from being a member of the Lander Grazing Board, Fremont County Cattlemen, the WSGA and the Public Lands Council. For the last 3 years he has been the Chairman of the Federal Lands Committee of the WSGA, and learned more about the complex issues of BLM and Forest Service. Rob also serves as a Wyoming delegate to the PLC and has participated in PLC meetings, both in the west and in Washington D.C.. Jim Magagna – Executive Vice President Jim is a native of Rock Springs and a lifelong sheep rancher in southwestern Wyoming. He has served as President of the American Sheep Industry Association and President of the National Public Lands Council. He has represented agriculture on numerous national, state and local councils and advisory boards. Prior to assuming the position of Executive Vice President of WSGA, he served as Director of the Wyoming Office of State Lands and Investments.
Our History 133 Year's of Service The importance of self reliance in Wyoming is evident and the Wyoming Stock Growers Association carries on this tradition. No other character marker is found more clearly intact among the people of Wyoming. The Wyoming Stock Growers Association was organized on April 4, 1872 to advance and protect the interest of the state’s livestock producers. It was the second state cattlemen’s organization created in the United States. Many of the early members lived back east in places such as Omaha, Chicago, New York and Boston, but the majority were Wyoming men who took an active personal interest in the cattle business. The formation of a cattlemen’s association was no doubt monumental at its inception. As one unknown author put it, “Of even greater significance, the principles for which it stood, and the manner in which it was implementing them were attracting industry-wide attention. Wyoming Stock Growers was the first association formed in the Wyoming territory. It is the only organization in the state focused entirely on serving the needs of the cattle industry, which is the largest segment of Wyoming’s agricultural production. Its mission is to serve that industry by protecting its economic, legislative, regulatory, judicial, environmental, customs and cultural interests. Our association lobbies and tracks issues at both the state and national levels; we work closely with the state and federal agencies that write regulations affecting the industry. We also participate in litigation on critical issues and work to enhance the public image of the cattle industry. As the industry continues to face many age-old issues and new opportunities, we seek to bring a fresh approach to addressing them.
Our Partners: www.wsgalt.org CWW www.coalition4wyowater.com Wyoming Beef Council Our thanks to the contributing photographers to this site: Crystal Lawrence, Pat Allamand and Kosha Olsen home - about - news & issues - events - links - members only - join - contacts All rights reserved - WYSGA 2005 Website by Kosha Olsen