Henry B. Smith — 2025 Angus Board Candidate

Henry B. Smith, Russell Springs, Ky., is seeking a second term on the American Angus Association Board of Directors.

The elected delegates will choose five directors; a president and chairman of the Board; and a vice president and vice chairman of the Board during the Association’s 142nd Annual Convention of Delegates, which will convene at 10 a.m. Central Standard Time (CST) Sunday, Nov. 2 in Kansas City, Mo.

Visit AngusJournal.net to learn more about each candidate.

To register for Angus Convention, visit AngusConvention.com.

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Transcript

Miranda Reiman (00:02):

The Angus Breed has a strong history and much to look forward to in its future, but who will lead that change? There are 10 candidates running for five open spots on the American Angus Association's Board of Directors. I'm Miranda Reiman with the Angus Journal team and I'm introducing you to each of them. Before November's annual meeting. Today I have with me Henry Smith from Russell Springs, Kentucky. Thanks for joining us today.

Henry Smith (00:28):

Hey, great to be here. I'm glad you're reaching out and doing this for the candidates.

Miranda Reiman (00:33):

Let's start out by telling me just a little bit about yourself, your history with the breed and your current involvement.

Henry Smith (00:40):

Oh yeah. Be glad to. As you said, my name's Henry Smith. I'm from South Central Kentucky. I'm a fourth generation Angus breeder. Married, my wife and I for 28 years. We've got two children, Bryanna and Blane. We operate. Our operation here is named by Smithland Angus Farm. We've been raising Angus cattle since 1940. It is what we do for a living, and really enjoy that. We run about 275 Angus cows. We've had an annual bull sale been going on now for just a little over 30 years. We do sell private treaty and mostly raise those cattle for the commercial market. Our history from Angus breed would run quite deep. I grew up myself through the National Junior Angus program. Really enjoyed that. That's probably what sparked my interest to come back to Angus and come to our family operation. We run in it. My dad served as a junior advisor, so I grew up from my very earliest memories of him mentoring other kids and other breeders for that matter along that program and so I had a lot of firsthand along with all that service that he gave and of course served this organization himself and as actually chairman of American Angus in 2000 I think it was.

(02:18):

So my family's had a great deal of history with Angus and our state and national organizations. My kids are very active in this organization as well. My daughter serves on the National Junior Board and my son's active and all the aspects that the program offers. So really we've been very engaged, very active for multiple generations within Angus.

Miranda Reiman (02:46):

With that kind of vantage, what do you think are some of the breed and the Association's biggest strengths that we can build upon?

Henry Smith (02:54):

Oh, probably the first things come to mind are the largest strengths I think would be pretty easy. The CAB program, I think that's something I think most folks would hang their hat on. It being really the flagship of what we all do in that marketing program that it provides. We no doubt it's what's turned our nation's cow herd black. It's what's created the demand for Angus bulls as it has today and what allows us all to enjoy the position that we're in the Angus Breed within this industry. As I mentioned in my comments, the junior program of course, I believe to be very important and we continue to foster that program and I realize that not all those kids will be back into production ag maybe or with their own Angus herds, but we are creating great advocates for the industry, great advocates for Angus, and I think that's very important. No doubt there'll be many of those young people will be in very influential places and leadership somewhere down the road.

(04:10):

Some of the other great things that's probably going with success of course would be AGI. That program is really what sets our Angus cattle to be so successful. The predictability that those EPDs and those indexes and our ability to describe those cattle is a great success story. We do hear a few complaints from time to time. They're not as accurate maybe as they would love for 'em to be, but they're the best tools the industry has and Angus is the most accurate and don't be forgetful of that. They're very, very good for what they do and they do a great job of describing our cattle.

Miranda Reiman (04:52):

So it's great to talk about our strengths, but thinking and maybe to some challenges of the greater beef industry, what do you think are some of the biggest changes facing the beef industry in the next five to 10 years?

Henry Smith (05:06):

I think ultimately we got to really keep in mind our consumer demands. That's what really drives all of us to be profitability. We've got to raise a great quality product. We need to raise those animals the right way, the way our consumers expect them to be. I think as a member driven group, we've got to continue to convey that message to keep confidence in folks using beef in their diets and ultimately Angus beef. I think American Angus does a fantastic job in providing those programs today and those services and to help our members to meet them types of goals. I think it's going to be a challenge that we continue to build on those innovations and providing those opportunities for our members to be able to describe them cattle, to meet 'em, a lot of various things out there that keep us relevant and I think there're going to be many challenges to come ahead, but Angus has always found a way to being the lead in our industry and I think that's what's set us up to be enjoying where we are today and I appreciate that we spend time looking down the road to where are those things and trying to position ourselves to allow our members to respond to 'em.

(06:35):

I think great to see. AngusLink I think is an example that's been a great program and what it's doing today, creating market demand for Angus genetics. Even on these record markets that we're seeing today within the industry, we've still got people paying great premiums for known genetics, predictable genetics, be able to pen those cattle and know what the outcome can be, and I think that's a great example of how we grow our positions and how we stay relevant within this whole industry, and ultimately it's going to make us better as members creating demand for our registered bulls, keep us in business.

Miranda Reiman (07:22):

You gave me a two for one answer there, so you've almost answered the next question, but I'm going to ask it anyway. What do you feel the Association needs to be doing today to position our breed and our members for success to face those challenges?

Henry Smith (07:36):

Right. Yeah, it is kind of twofold. I may have touched on a little of that, but we still got to stay really relevant that we continue to provide services, accurate data, provide selection tools to help folks meet certain goals no matter where you market your cattle, how you market 'em, where you live in the country. I think our organization, it's very important that they try to give everybody opportunities to be successful and be mindful for some folks that may market cattle more on a grid or might market cattle in a tougher or different environment. Things are different for those, but for maybe their selections and the programs they need. But we got to do the best for all and try to, and I think organization does a good job already, but we just got to continue to be innovative that we position these breeders and our members the opportunities to be successful, look down the road to what our consumers are demanding, what the marketplace, the feeders are demanding and so forth, and just try our best to put 'em in the position that they can describe their cattle and raise their cattle the most efficient that they can.

Miranda Reiman (08:47):

So to take it from kind of an industry focus to a little bit of a focus on you, why are you running for the Board and what do you hope you can contribute?

Henry Smith (08:59):

As I mentioned maybe a little bit earlier in our comments, it's always been very important to our family that we try to serve various organizations in which we work in or in organizations that we find passion in and believe in. I want to serve this Board to help be able to represent and maybe provide the perspective of someone that does this for a living on a daily basis. Somebody we carry a bucket of feed and we breed the cows and we make the hay, we collect the data, we do a lot of hands-on management on a daily basis of a working Angus program. I think we can give the perspective maybe to bring to the Board for those smaller groups that can be very helpful to help direct maybe those opportunities and direct the positions of where the Board heads and making great opportunities for people to be successful,

Miranda Reiman (10:09):

You know the time and effort that it takes. So we thank you for putting your name on that ballot. Is there anything else you'd like people to know before November's annual meeting?

Henry Smith (10:20):

I think just for the membership and those out there that will pay attention to all these great candidates that are running. I admire everyone that's, gives of that time and dedication to serve. I just love for folks to know that we live Angus here every day. It is what we do, these programs that it offers and it is fantastic and we're very relevant participating in most all them with my family. I raised my kids in those programs and gives us a good perspective on being able to serve in the future. I serve this organization very humbly and very, hope that I can be a part of help direct the opportunities for the next generation. My family provided me that great opportunity to be able to live this lifestyle. That is why I do what I do and I hope that we can help guide the direction that if my kids desire to come back here and do this for a living, that they're positioned the very best they can to be successful. We look forward to the convention and it's been a great honor for me to serve three years and I hope to get the great privilege to serve three more.

Miranda Reiman (11:43):

Well, thank you so much for your time today and we'll look forward to seeing you in Kansas City.

Henry Smith (11:48):

Thank you very much.

Miranda Reiman (11:49):

Elections will take place at the 142nd annual of delegates during the annual meeting on Sunday, November 2nd in Kansas City, Missouri. Not registered? There's still time. Visit angusconvention.com to learn more. To read full biographies and for the latest news and stories from the breed, visit angusjournal.net and while you're there, subscribe to the monthly Angus Journal magazine. You'll get ongoing Angus convention coverage and the latest news, Association updates, stories of fellow breeders and more. Visit angusjournal.net to subscribe today.