GRAVETTE — Jacy Alsup of Gravette was one of 193 National Junior Angus Association members from 32 states and Canada who attended the 2012 Leaders Engaged in Angus Development Conference held August 2-5 at Fort Collins, Colo. Six NJAA members from Arkansas were in attendance.

The “Peak Performance” featured top livestock industry speakers, workshops, tours of livestock operations and motivational presentations, as well as times for fun which included white-water rafting and a challenging high-ropes course. Learning more about the beef industry was the prime thrust ofthe four-day conference.

Among the speakers was Rachel Scott, a victim of the 1999 Columbine High School shooting.

“LEAD is one of the best events the NJAA offers youth,” said Kelli Retallick of Glen Haven, Wis. “The conference gets kids out of the showring and into a room full of youth from across the country who are all passionate about the same thing - the Angus breed.”

Retallick is a member of the NJAA Board of Directors, elected during the National Junior Angus Show (NJAS) each summer. The junior board kicked off the LEAD conference with teambuilding activities and presented various workshops throughout the event.

News, Pages 11 on 09/19/2012