Join us in Black Hawk for the 2024 Annual Meeting!
Monday, July 15 - Tuesday, July 16, 2024
Monarch Casino Resort and Spa, Black Hawk, Colorado
This summer, join Colorado Livestock Association members in the charming town of Black Hawk, where the sophistication of premier casinos found in Las Vegas meets the breathtaking beauty and cool crisp air of the Rocky Mountains.
Engage in informative speaker sessions, productive member business meetings, and networking opportunities with key industry leaders at the CLA Annual Meeting.
Roll the dice and join in on all of the excitement this new venue has to offer at this year's 2024 Annual Meeting at Monarch.
Hotel Details
Discounted Rate: $149.00/night **taxes and fees apply, see below.
Deadline extended to July 5, 2024 at 5:00 pm
Monarch Casino Resort and Spa, 488 Main St, Black Hawk, CO 80422
Book a room online or call 303.582.1000 or toll-free 800.723.6500 and mention Colorado Livestock Association for the discounted rate of $149.00, plus a $29.00 resort fee*, per room, per night, plus tax. The discounted room rate will be  honored July 14 – July 18 for family vacation plans, as available.
Registration
Early-Bird Registration Deadline: July 8, 2024
Early-Bird Registration Rates
Full Registration – $135
Single Day - Monday, July 15 – $50
Single Day - Tuesday, July 16 – $85
Late Registration Rates – After July 8, 2024
Full Registration – $175
Single Day - Monday, July 15 – $75
Single Day - Tuesday, July 16 – $100
For more info, contact (970) 378-0500 or office@coloradolivestock.org
Sponsors: Please use your personal complimentary code (coming soon) when registering!
A Top Colorado Destination
Black Hawk is one of Colorado’s most historic and well-known casino gaming cities. Beautiful scenery, luxury accommodations, and great gaming options make it the perfect getaway, whether you’re coming from Denver or beyond.
Black Hawk and the surrounding area also have activities and events for the kids. Check out some of these suggestions to ensure your entire family is entertained when you visit.
Schedule
Monday, July 15, 2024
12:00Â Registration Opens 5th Floor Elevator Lobby
12:00Â Board of Directors Meeting Bistro Mariposa
1:30Â Â Dairy Council Meeting Crystal Retreat
1:30Â Â Feeder/Producer Council Meeting Crystal III
2:00Â Â Breakout Session A
Tuesday, July 16, 2024
6:30Â Â Registration Open 5th Floor Elevator Lobby
6:45Â Â Grab & Go Breakfast Crystal Retreat
8:00Â Â General Session Crystal I - IV
-Treasurer's Report
-Nominating Committee Report
-Leadership Recognition
-Legislative Briefing
-CEO Management Report
-Safety Group Performance & Safe Farm Awards
-National Cattlemen's Beef Association Update
-Colorado Beef Council Update
-Dairy MAX Update
-Donation to Beef Sticks for Backpacks
11:00Â Â Keynote Session Crystal I - IV
"On Shoulders of Giants: The Telling of the Feeding Industry's Stories"
Rachel Gabel, Agriculture Journalist and Author
12:00Â Â Past President's Lunch Bistro Mariposa
-Recognition of Past Presidents
-Top Choice Award
-Outgoing Presidential Address
2:00Â Â Ice Cream Social & Send-off Bistro Mariposa
Keynote Speaker
On Shoulders of Giants: The Telling of the Feeding Industry's Stories
Rachel Gabel, Agriculture Journalist, and Author
Rachel Gabel is a daughter of Colorado's oil and gas industry and a member of the state's 12,000 cattle-raising families. Based in northeastern Colorado on her family's cow-calf operation, she writes exclusively about agriculture and primarily about the protein production sector. She is the rural issues and agriculture columnist for Colorado Politics and the Denver and Colorado Springs Gazettes, a farm broadcaster on Western Ag Network, and the assistant editor of The Fence Post Magazine. She is the author of seven books, including four utilized by Colorado Agriculture in the Classroom to teach young students about the nation's most important industry.
Breakout Speakers:
New interactions between beef and dairy markets impacting milk supplies
BEN LAINE, Senior Dairy Analyst, Terrain Ag: A Service of American Ag Credit
Ben Laine is Terrain’s senior dairy analyst. His previous experience includes work as a dairy analyst for Rabobank, a senior economist covering the dairy industry at CoBank, and a commodity hedging manager and economist at Agri-Mark dairy farmer cooperative. While at Agri-Mark, he developed a tool for dairy producers to manage their milk price risk.
Ben has also developed trading and risk management programs for commercial dairy commodity businesses, produced price forecasts and provided economic outlooks. His research has spanned the dairy supply chain, consumer trends, methane reduction and export markets. Ben earned his MS in resource economics at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.
Exploring impacts and opportunities created by declining red meat supplies and differing demand trends
DAVE WEABER, Animal Protein Analyst, Terrain Ag: A Service of American Ag Credit
Dave Weaber is Terrain’s senior animal protein analyst. Dave’s career analyzing the animal and meat production business has spanned many sectors of the meat supply chain, from primary production, slaughter and processing to the retail grocery and food service sectors. His career’s work has covered the beef, pork and poultry industries.
Dave has experience translating broad market and supply chain trends into actionable strategy for cow-calf and other cattle producers. He has served as a trustee of the Colorado 4-H Youth Fund and on the National Pork Board Retail Advisory Committee. Dave earned his BS and MS in animal science and ruminant nutrition from Colorado State University.
Breakout Speakers: Farm Policy: How the Sausage is Made Inside the Beltway
PAUL BLEIBERG, Executive Vice President, Government Relations, National Milk Producers Federation
Paul Bleiberg currently serves as Executive Vice President, Government Relations at the National Milk Producers Federation. In this capacity, he leads the organization’s policy and advocacy efforts before Congress and works closely with various federal agencies. During his tenure at NMPF, Bleiberg has worked with the House and Senate Agriculture Committees to enact major dairy policy reforms, including in the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018, 2018 Farm Bill, and multiple COVID response packages.
Prior to joining NMPF in 2016, Bleiberg served as Deputy Chief of Staff and Legislative Director for former Rep. Reid Ribble (R-WI), a member of the House Agriculture and Transportation & Infrastructure Committees, during work on the 2014 Farm Bill and the 2012 and 2015 highway bills. Bleiberg is an Upstate New York native and currently resides in Washington, DC.
ETHAN LANE, Vice President of Government Affairs, National Cattlemen's Beef Association
Ethan Lane is the Vice President of Government Affairs at the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. Ethan is a 5th generation Arizonan with more than 20 years of experience in natural resources, land use issues, and advocacy on behalf of the cattle industry. Prior to his role as the Vice President of Government Affairs, Ethan was the Executive Director for the Public Lands Council and Senior Executive Director of the NCBA Federal Lands portfolio. Before joining PLC and NCBA, Ethan operated a consulting firm where he worked on multiple high profile political campaigns and advised a variety of private companies and industries on regulatory and legislative issues impacting their businesses.
TREY FORSYTH, Senate Minority Office, Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry
Trey Forsyth serves as a Professional Staff Member for the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry for Ranking Member John Boozman, where he handles the livestock, poultry, dairy, animal health, food safety and tax portfolios. He previously worked for Land O’Lakes handling federal government affairs and also worked at the government affairs firm, Torrey Advisory Group. Trey also served in the previous administration as policy advisor to Gregg Doud, the Chief Agriculture Negotiator at the U.S. Trade Representative’s office. Trey grew up involved in his family’s swine and row crop farm in northeast Iowa and graduated from Iowa State University with a degree in Agricultural Business.
General Session Speakers
Buck Wehrbein
President-Elect
National Cattlemen's Beef Association
Kenton Ochsner
Executive Director
Colorado Beef Council
Todd Green
Vice President, Industry Image and Relations
Dairy MAX
Wes Skiles
Principal
Michael Best Strategies, LLC
2024 Sponsors
$5000+
$3000+
$2000+
$1000+
For sponsorship opportunities, please contact Brittany Dennison at bdennison@coloradolivestock.org.