Agricultural Business Council of Kansas City Honors Two Local Leaders
The Agricultural Business Council of Kansas City honored two of the region’s leading agricultural figures on May 18 at a luncheon in the Chamber Board Room in Kansas City’s historic Union Station. The honorees received the Council’s highest award, the Jay B. Dillingham Award for Agricultural Leadership and Excellence.
Agricultural Business Council Executive Director Bob Petersen notes the honorees are champions for agriculture in separate but very key areas in the region. The 2022 honorees are Jan Lyons, Lyons Ranch, Manhattan, Kansas, and Dr. Abner Womack, FAPRI-retired, University of Missouri.
Jan Lyons, Lyons Ranch, Manhattan, KS
With encouragement and support from her husband, Frank (who worked full-time in town) and daughters, Debbie and Amy, Jan took the reins in establishing Lyons Ranch in 1977 with the purchase of a group of bred heifers and with the selection of a few select Angus cows from top breeders in the state as Foundation cows. By using A.I. and embryo transfer, the Ranch was able to breed to specifications focusing on economically and sustainable maternal traits for the herd.
Lyons became involved in industry organizations early in her career and went on to record several “firsts,” serving as the first woman president of the Kansas Livestock Association (1994) and as the first president of the Kansas Angus Association (1981). She has also served as Chairman, Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion and Research Board (1996) and President of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (2004). Beef Magazine named her “Producer of the Year” in 2004 for her leadership during the BSE crisis. In 2008 she was recognized as “Stockman of the Year” by Kansas State University.
Today, Lyons Ranch is proud to celebrate 45 years of continuous family ownership and operated with three generations actively involved.
Dr Abner Womack, FAPRI-retired, Columbia, MO
Dr. Womack is Professor Emeritus of Agricultural Economics and co-founder of the Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute (FAPRI-MU) at the University of Missouri. His work at FAPRI earned him national recognition and built upon his earlier work at USDA’s Economic Research Service where he developed econometric models that focused on the structure of the global food system.
His work at FAPRI centered on the evaluation of possible econometric consequences of policy options under consideration before the enactment of legislation. He has been recognized by many groups, including:
- American Farm Bureau’s Distinguished Service Award (which was received along with Senator Richard Lugar (R-IN)), 2014
- Top Producer magazine named Dr. Womack as one of the 30 “Leaders that Made a Difference: Brave Thinkers,” 2013
- USDA’s Secretary of Agriculture Honor Award, 2001
- European Union Center, University of Missouri Fellows Award, 1999
- Council of Agriculture Science & Technology’s Charles A. Black Award, 1999
- American Agricultural Economics Association’s Distinguished Policy Contributor Award, 1991
Dr. Womack holds B.S. and M.S. degrees in mathematics from Auburn University and a Ph.D. degree in agricultural economics from the University of Minnesota.
“These individuals have created a wonderful legacy in their respective spheres – a legacy that will have a lasting impact,” said Council Executive Director Petersen. “They are great examples of what vision, hard work, and persistence can accomplish.”
