Proposed Constitutional Amendment Explained

Ohio Angus Association Members:

As we strive to continually improve how we promote Angus cattle in the state of Ohio and serve our membership, the board of directors has been working through a strategic planning process and developing a long-term vision for the last 2 years.  We have learned a lot about our organization, about our members, about the American Angus Association and Certified Angus Beef, and have sat at several round tables with representatives from all these groups.  While our process is not complete, and members or our operations committee and Executive committee will continue to work through 2026 and beyond on this strategic plan, we have found some places that we can implement some new ideas and manners of conducting business. 

One thing we have done is study our constitution and by-laws, and gain an understanding of why some articles exist, while also realizing that we may not be operating exactly according to the book as some other articles are written.  This has led us to re-open a discussion on how board members are elected and how many board members we should have.  20 years ago the Ohio Angus Association was 500 members strong.  15 years ago that number was under 400, 10 years ago down to 300, and for the last several years, we have been consistently serving between 200-250 members.  We have been very aggressive as a board to continually find new and creative ways to engage the membership, and feel we are on a very positive path as an organization.  However, throughout this process and our discussions, one area we have felt the need to address is how members are elected to the board.  The last few years the attendance at the annual meeting consists mainly of board members and their immediate families, and we have struggled to find enough volunteers to fill available board seats.  The election process itself has been confusing with 1-year and 2-year terms needing elected each year, and unfortunately, the existence of regional associations around the state has dropped from 9 just 15 years ago to only 4 remaining active today.  We certainly hope those 4 association can remain active and perhaps even strengthen their membership and activities going forward, but the board feels as though this may be an appropriate time for a change in our election process. 

After gathering all of the above information and analyzing along with the information seen through our strategic planning process, the board has come to the realization that we do not need the same size of board to serve 250 members as we did to serve 400-500 members year ago.  We have also empowered and engaged members with our current committee structure, and there is ample opportunity to serve the organization and make a difference by volunteering to serve on a committee without having to be an elected board member.   So after careful consideration, the board has approved the following proposed changes to our constitution that if approved, would result in a 3-year transition to a system of electing 4 board members per year for 3-year terms, and the phase out of guaranteed seats from regional associations. Please read through the proposal carefully, consider attending the annual meeting to vote on the matter, and if you have any questions about our proposal, the strategic planning process, or any other Ohio Angus Association matter, please reach out to any member of our executive team or board member!

Sincerely,

Ohio Angus Association Executive Team

Jacy Bapst, Executive Secretary

Allen Gahler, Chairman of the Board

Mike Atterholt, President

Jay Clutter, Vice President

Kelvin Egner, Treasurer