Red Angus Staff Take on New Roles


 

Dr. Kim Heller Becomes Director of Education for Red Angus



 

Dr. Kim Heller recently added a new role to her repertoire at the Red Angus Association of America as the director of education and junior programs. This position is designed to strengthen engagement and assist members with knowledge-based initiatives to build the breed across all segments.

 

This new role was borne out of the 2021-2026 Red Angus Strategic Plan which identifies education as a key area to enable and support the breed’s strategic initiatives, and in particular, to enhance the knowledge base of Red Angus breeders nationwide. Heller’s work will also better prepare board and staff members to be stewards of long-term breed success.

 

Heller has been with RAAA since 2015 and worked for more than five years as the junior programs coordinator, where she led and prepared Junior Red Angus members in education efforts, leadership development programs, scholarships and competitions. She will retain this role with the Junior Red Angus Association along with her expanded position as director of education.

 

 

Fallon Flick Becomes Red Angus Manager of Performance Data Programs



 

Fallon Flick recently began a new role at the Red Angus Association of America as the manager of performance data programs. This position, which is the first of its kind among breed associations, is designed to garner an increase the quality and quantity of data submissions from the Red Angus membership. Flick will work closely with Ryan Boldt, RAAA director of breed improvement, and Red Angus members to improve educational awareness on the importance of data collection, data submission, EPDs and breed improvement. Flick will also manage special projects to help bolster phenotypic data submission on traits that are more difficult for individual herds to collect, such as carcass data.

 

This new role was borne out of the 2021-2026 Red Angus Strategic Plan which identifies creating and improving genetic prediction tools as a key focus area for the RAAA and the breed in the coming years. As the volume and quality of phenotypic and genotypic data collected increases, Flick’s role will be ever important in enhancing the power of the Red Angus database and improving the reliability of its selection tools.

 

Flick has been with RAAA since 2017 and worked for more than 3 ½ years in the DNA and member services departments.

 

 

The Red Angus Association of America serves the beef industry by enhancing and promoting the measurable advantages of Red Angus and Red Angus-influenced cattle. The RAAA provides commercial producers with objectively described cattle by implementing new technologies and utilizing scientifically sound principles that quantify traits of economic importance to beef producers in all segments of the beef industry. For more information, visit www.RedAngus.org.