Cattlemen's Beef Board CEO Resigns

Statement from Wesley Grau, Chairman, CBB Executive Committee:

After more than 17 years of committed service to the beef checkoff, the Cattlemen's Beef Board (CBB) Executive Committee yesterday reluctantly accepted Chief Executive Officer Tom Ramey’s resignation.  Tom served as both the Cattlemen’s Beef Board chief financial officer and, most recently, as chief executive officer. In his role as CEO, Tom was responsible for developing and leading a team of experienced and dedicated individuals who work every day for the checkoff. Tom also worked tirelessly to provide detailed oversight of checkoff expenditures, and recently spearheaded the effort to rewrite Cattlemen’s Beef Board’s operating guidelines to clarify contractor responsibilities. 

The Executive Committee has asked Polly Ruhland to act as interim CEO for the present time. After more than 20 years in the beef industry, Polly was most recently CBB’s vice president of planning and evaluation, and before that served in several senior staff positions at the National Cattlemen's Beef Association. Through this experience, she understands both the beef checkoff oversight and contractor roles, and is highly qualified to help us move the checkoff forward in its goal to build demand for beef. 

We appreciate that Tom’s decision to resign was a personal one for him and his family, and we thank him for his dedication to the nation’s farmers and ranchers through his service to the beef checkoff.