BIF Pioneer Award
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Angie Stump Denton, Beef Improvement Federation Communication Coordinator, 785-562-6197
June 24, 2019
Gibb Presented BIF Pioneer Award
BROOKINGS, South Dakota – The Beef Improvement Federation (BIF) presented Jim Gibb, Louisville, Colorado, the BIF Pioneer Award June 20 during the group’s annual meeting and symposium in Brookings, South Dakota.
The award recognizes individuals who have made lasting contributions to the improvement of beef cattle, honoring those who have had a major role in acceptance of performance reporting and documentation as the primary means to make genetic change in beef cattle.
Gibb has broad experience in the cattle business and animal science. He has been a leader at two breed associations — American Polled Hereford Association and American Gelbvieh Association — served the National Livestock and Meat Board and the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, founded an animal genomics company and taught beef cattle management at the University of Illinois. He has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois and master’s and doctorate degrees from Colorado State University. Gibb is also a past BIF board member.
He cofounded Frontier Beef Systems with the American Simmental Association, focusing on providing DNA testing to seedstock producers. He later sold the company to Merial that in turn sold it to Neogen. Following the sale of the company he worked for both companies until retiring in 2018.
More than 500 beef producers, academia and industry representatives attended the organization’s 51st annual convention. BIF’s mission is to help improve the industry by promoting greater acceptance of beef cattle performance evaluation.
For more information about this year’s symposium, including additional award winners and coverage of the meeting and tours, visit BIFconference.com. For more information about BIF, visit Beefimprovement.org.
The Beef Improvement Federation (BIF) is an organization dedicated to coordinating all segments of the beef industry — from researchers and producers to retailers — in an effort to improve the efficiency, profitability and sustainability of beef production. The organization was initiated almost 70 years ago to encourage the use of objective measurements to evaluate beef cattle. Continuing the tradition, BIF is now the clearinghouse for developing standardized programs and methodologies for recording of performance data for all traits, from birth weights to carcass traits. Its three-leaf-clover logo symbolizes the link between industry, extension and research.
Cutline:
Jim Gibb (center), Louisville, Colorado, receives the Beef Improvement Federation Pioneer Award. Presenting the award are Steve Radakovich (left), Radakovich Cattle Co., Earlham, Iowa, and Lee Leachman, 2018-2019 BIF president. Gibb was honored June 20 at the organization’s 51st annual convention in Brookings, South Dakota.
