A Note From Ron Cerri, Immediate Past President

I just want to say a last farewell and thank you to everyone who has read this column for the last two years. Writing has never been one of my strong suits, and especially in the beginning of my two-year term as president, it was as challenging as any part of the job. Yet I realized it was important for members and nonmembers alike to know what the Association was working on and the positions it had on various issues, both locally and nationally. I thought it was going to be difficult to come up with a new topic to write on every month but that has never happened. There are so many things happening that could or do effect the livestock industry every day that the difficult part ended up being picking the one I felt was the most important to Nevada Cattlemen at the time.

I have gotten a lot of positive feedback from many of you saying you’ve  enjoyed reading my columns, and that meant a great deal to me and gave me the inspiration I needed to write a new one every month. I know many of my old friends are skeptical and think someone else wrote the columns for me. I swear to them and to you that I wrote each and every one of them, but I do have to admit my wife was my editor. She corrected all my spelling and punctuation mistakes and made me look a lot smarter than I really am.

You can’t imagine until you’ve actually got the job the extra demands it puts on your family. I don’t know if someone could be President of NCA and still have a ranch left when you were done without strong family support at home. There has to be someone you can trust to pull that calf at two in the morning or get the swather fixed while you’re off, God knows where, attending some meeting. I do wonder sometimes if they are going to be happy having me back on a full time basis.  When I’d get home after being gone a few days I’d want to get a week’s worth of work done in one day. Now as I look back, maybe that’s why when I told my wife I had another meeting to attend she would have my bag packed and sitting at the door, and my son would ask “when are you going to be back”, not in a tone of voice like he was going to miss me; it was more like please take your time and don’t rush back home!   

NCA’s new president is J. J. Goicoechea.  J. J. and I have worked together very closely the last two years and because we have, the transition will be a very smooth one. He’ll hit the ground running and will do a tremendous job, not just for NCA but for the whole livestock industry. As most of you know J. J. is a veterinarian and, as such, has the opportunity to talk and listen to many of you about the current issues facing the industry. But whether or not J. J. is your veterinarian, give him a call and let him know what’s on your mind.

As for me, John Falen decided that he has been Chairman of NCA’s Public Lands Committee long enough, and J. J. asked me to take over this chairmanship. John has been chairman of the Public Lands Committee longer than most of us can remember, and because of his knowledge and connections, he will be a tough act to follow. I feel extremely honored and humbled to be chosen to follow in his footsteps as chairman of this important committee. As President of NCA I always appreciated phone calls from members and found it very helpful to me in understanding an issue better, so please call me if there is something you think I can help you with as NCA’s Public Lands Chairman.

So for the last time, thank you again to everyone who helped me the last two years and to those who will continue to donate their time for the betterment of the livestock industry; from NCA’s office staff, executive officers, committee chairmen, my family, and every NCA member. Without your support there wouldn’t be a Nevada Cattlemen’s Association to protect and preserve the livestock industry in Nevada.  It was an honor being president of NCA the last two years.

Quote of the Month:

“Be well, do good work, and keep in touch.”

  Garrison Keillor