Missouri Cattlemen's Association

Industry Awards

2024 Industry Leader Award Nominations

Thank you to all that have submitted Industry Leader Awards Nominations for this year. We look forward to seeing everyone at the 2025 Cattle Industry Convention and Trade Show. 


Cattleman of the Year

This award is presented to someone who has been an important part of MCA throughout the year. It could have been exemplified through their volunteerism or their ability to make MCA a more recognizable organization. This award is reserved for the individuals who went above and beyond for their county and/or state organization during the year they receive the award.

Year Recipient  

1965 Ted Anderson, Montreal

1966 Harold Roth, Harrisonville

1967 Flint McRoberts, Columbia

1968 Virgil Shirley, Hardin

1969 Dorsey Bass, Columbia

1970 Joe Ewing, Humansville

1971 Forest Noel, Lebanon

1972 Open

1973 Marshall McGregor, Richland

1974 Bill Sidwell, Queen City

1975 Waldo Wheeler, Windsor

1976 Junior Simpson, Salem

1977 Bill Sayre, St. Catherine

1978 C.W. Caldwell, Mexico

1979 Joe Lee Davidson, Rocky Comfort

Year Recipient  

1980 Alan King, Fulton

1981 Bob Harriman, Malta Bend

1982 Bob Bricker, Garden City

1983 John & Betty Rotert, Montrose

1984 Harold Harvey, Malta Bend

1985 Eugene Ryan, Foristell

1986 Eugene Williams, Verona

1987 Harold Hurd, Knob Noster

1988 Tom Broderick, Plattsburg

1989 John Buck, Versailles

1990 Glen Klippenstein, Maysville

1991 Scott Kennedy, Deerfield

1992 Bob Vandiver, Camden

1993 Bob Green, Sedalia

1994 Ed Kruse, Bourbon 

Year Recipient

1995 Mike Kasten, Millersville

1996 Sheri Spader, Rosendale

1997 Bob Richter, LaGrange

1998 I.C. Keeney, Shirley Wilmesher

1999 Mike John, Huntsville

2000 Chuck Massengill, California

2001 Gary Ryan, Fulton

2002 Robert Gregory, Houstonia

2003 Ken Disselhorst, Palmyra

2004 Larry Moore

2005 Jeff Windett, Columbia

2006 Howard Hardecke, Springfield

2007 Pat & Patty Wood, LaMonte

2008 Merrel Breyer, Richland

2009 Jimmie Long, Cole Camp 

Year Recipient

2010 Forrest Lucas

2011 Ben Fizette, Mark Harmon, Jim McCann

2012 David Dick, Sedalia

2013 Paul Gibbs, Cooper county

2014 Jackie Moore, Mount Vernon

2015 Greg Buckman, Hallsville

2016 Mike Parson, Bolivar

2017 Ben Eggers, Mexico

2018 Carl Elliott, Holden

2019 Butch Meier, Jackson

2020 Bobby Simpson, Salem

2021 Marilyn O'Bannon, Madison

2022 Teresa Carlson, Mexico

2023 Keith Stevens, Bolivar 


Pioneer Award

This award is presented to an individual who has been a corner-post for not only the state’s beef industry but the Missouri Cattlemen’s Association. This is truly a lifetime achievement award and is the highest honor given by the association. This award is reserved for individuals who have dedicated enormous effort and dedication to advancing Missouri’s cattle industry.

Year Recipient  

1979 Fred Miller

1980 Smith Scott, Palmyra

1981 Dennis Sullivan, Silex

1982 Cordell Tindall, Boonville

1983 Miller Carpenter, Rothville

1984 J.P. Hampton, Brunswick

1985 Oliver Marshall, Marshall

1986 Damon Shannon, Amsterdam

1987 Tom Carter, Hartville

1988 Murrell Mitchener

1989 Forest Noel, Lebanon

1990 J.W. Welch, Jr.

Year Recipient

1991 Gilmore Wilmesher, Union

1992 C.W. Caldwell, Mexico

1993 John McCarthy

1994 Brady McCall

1995 Marshall McGregor, Richland

1996 Bill Sidwell, Queen City

1997 Junior Simpson, Salem

1998 Harold Harvey; Tom Broderick, 

1999 Tom Sites, Blackwater 

2000 John Rotert, Montrose

2001 Fred Blades, Holliday

2002 Allen Henry, Purdin

Year Recipient

2003 Bob Richter, LaGrange

2004 Doc Smith, Green Castle

2005 Tom & Rosalee Smith

2006 Eldon Cole, Mt. Vernon

2007 O.D. Cope, Aurora

2008 Joe Lyle, Savannah

2009 Don Bledsoe & Roy Houston, Olean

2010 Dr. Taylor Woods, California

2011 George Barnitz, Lake Spring

2012 Merrill Townley, Chamois

2013 W.A. Schlesselman, Concordia

Year Recipient

2014 Roy Akers, Clinton

2015 John Paul Jones, Buffalo

2016 Leroy Strubberg, Union

2017 Doc (Curtis) Long, Butler

2018 Glen Klippenstein, Maysville

2019 Morris Westfall, Halfway

2020 Rick Anstine, Kingsville & Leon Kleeman, Miller

2021 Rod & Christine Lewis, Sarcoxie

2022 Jim McCann, Miller 

2023 Richard Thomas, Madison



Allied Industry Award

This individual is part of the bigger picture of MCA, one of our business partners.  Someone that MCA can always count on for support or that has been a partner in the cattle industry over the last many years. 

Year Recipient  

1971 Jim Ross, Columbia

1972 Dale Burks, Springfield

1973 Nick Iman, Slater

1974 George Stiles, Columbia 

1975 Leroy Strubberg, Union

1976 J.R. Bartels, St. Marys

1977 Larry Atzenweiler, Kansas City

1978 Kurt Koehn, Sullivan

1979 National Stockyards, National City, IL

1980 Taylor Woods, State Veterinarian

1981 Ray Davis, Kansas City

1982 John Massey, Columbia

1983 Larry Ehlert, St. Joseph

1984 Tom Staley, Kansas City

 Year Recipient

1985 Eldon Cole, Mt. Vernon

1986 Jim Ross, Columbia

1987 Ed Slauter, Jefferson City

1988 Gene Williams, St. Joseph

1989 Jim Badger, Jefferson City

1990 Norman Justis, Mt. Vernon

1991 Homer Sewell, Columbia

1992 Dale Watson, Carrollton

1993 Larry Harper, Columbia

1994 Heartland Hospital, St. Joseph

1995 Jim Ritchie, Versailles

1996 E.H. Fowler, Sedalia 

1997Kary Marrs, Bolivar

1998 Bud Frew; Robert Gregory 

Year Recipient

1999 Leroy Strubberg, Union

2000 Dave Patterson, Columbia

2001 Joplin Regional Stockyards, Carthage

2002 Representative Bill Ransdall, Richland

2003 Bob Ideal, Farm Credit Services

2004 Dennis Meyer, Central Life Sciences

2005 Luke Burbank; Mckenzie Disselhorst; Lesley Snodgrass

2006 Andy Atzenweiler, Kansas City

2007 Tom Kent 2008 Rick Anstine

2009 Rick Henderson, Columbia

2010 Dave Patton, Vienna

2011 John Harrison, Callaway Livestock Market

2012 Bob Barron, Norbrook 

Year Recipient

2013 Ed Trotter; Kevin Yeager

2014 Eddie Sydenstricker, Mexico

2015 Jim Anderson, Columbia

2016 Craig Payne, Columbia

2017 Don Nikodim, Columbia

2018 Brian Lease, Clark

2019 Seth Belstle, MERCK

2020 Brackman Family, LAG Industries

2021 Greg Zeitlow, Zeitlow Distributing

2022 Dr. Michael F. Smith, Columbia

2023 Wesley Tucker, Columbia

Leadership Development Award

This award was created to honor individuals within Missouri Cattlemen’s Association that work to develop future leaders in our local affiliates. The award aims to acknowledge the work that is done at the ground floor of our grassroots organization and is reserved for individuals that strengthen the foundation of the association.

Year Recipient  

2019 Carl Messner, Albany

2020 Ed & Judy Ehrhardt, Jefferson City

2021 Bailey Popejoy, Versailles

2022 Sydney Thummel, Columbia  

2023 John Tummons, Columbia