NCBA President Announces Retirement

After 34 years with the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), the past four as CEO, Kendal Frazier on Tuesday announced his plans for retirement. Frazier’s career began as a farm broadcaster in Kansas, where he also served as director of communications for Kansas Livestock Association, before moving to Denver, Colo., to join the staff of the National Cattlemen’s Association (NCA), predecessor organization to NCBA. When NCA merged with the National Livestock and Meat Board in 1996, Frazier was a member of the team who worked with staff and beef industry volunteer leaders to address a steep decline in demand, helping to address the consumer concerns which had led to losses in market share and falling prices. This work ultimately helped to reverse those declines and set the industry on a new, consumer-focused path. Frazier was also instrumental in helping secure the passage of the checkoff referendum and worked to secure resources for the first checkoff-funded public relations and issues management work conducted by NCBA as a contractor to the Beef Checkoff in 1998. That work would prove to be vital to the long-term success of the beef industry in 2003, when the first domestic case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy was announced. The work done by Frazier and the NCBA team helped maintain consumer confidence around the globe and ensured very effort was made to minimize the impact on the beef industry. “It has been my pleasure to work closely with Kendal for many years and I can say without a doubt that we are far better off because of his service to cattlemen and cattlewomen,” said NCBA President Jennifer Houston. “His steady hand and thoughtful leadership have been a key part of so many opportunities and challenges that have shaped the beef industry now and literally for the past few decades,” said Ross Wilson, CEO of Texas Cattle Feeders Association. "We truly are a better industry because of Kendal Frazier.” NCBA immediately will begin the search process to select a new CEO, and Frazier will remain in place to assist with the transition process, until Dec. 31.