Colorado Livestock Association Names 2024 Top Choice Award Honoree

Aurora, CO – The CLA Top Choice Award was presented to Chris Whitney for his significant contributions to the livestock industry at the 2024 Annual Meeting of the Colorado Livestock Association in Black Hawk.

Chris Whitney served the agriculture community as the Brand Commissioner over the past 12 years and has been a partner and friend of Colorado’s farming and ranching families. Throughout his career, Chris has exemplified a profound understanding of the intricate balance between producers, sustainability, good business practices, and animal stewardship.

Recipients of the Colorado Livestock Association’s Top Choice Award are individuals who have demonstrated a commitment to improving livestock agriculture in Colorado. Past honorees have come from all walks of life, but the common thread is that they embody a deep-rooted belief in the importance of agriculture.

“His vision and dedication to the betterment of our industry is truly commendable. His innovative approaches and tireless efforts have helped to revolutionize the interaction between agency and grower, while dedicated to protecting against loss and theft of livestock. By embracing new technology, he has championed efficiency, safeguarded industry, mitigated the impacts from external perceptions of agricultural practices, and increased the longevity of our members’ way of life, for years to come,” stated CLA President, Kenny Rogers during the 2024 Past President’s Luncheon at the CLA Annual Meeting.

“Chris has tirelessly advocated for and supported Colorado Livestock Association in a variety of capacities. In celebrating this outstanding individual, we acknowledge his invaluable contributions to the agriculture community, his profound respect for the members of this organization, and his steadfast commitment to the preservation of industry and resources.”

“I am hugely grateful to the CLA Board of Directors and leadership for this award, though I am concerned about their judgment in bestowing it. I have seen the names of previous recipients of this award, and I do not belong on that list. I have always been grateful to the CLA for the way its members treated me during my 12-year tenure as Brand Commissioner, and the way it continues to treat and support the 70 brand inspectors and Brand Office personnel who make up the Brands Division. In my mind, the Brand Commissioner’s job is to promote, protect and nurture the livestock industry. It is not to bow to political winds, and not to go along to get along. I am experienced enough to know that a person is only as good as the people he or she works with. I have worked with exceptional people. So, this award is not about me – it is about them. For me, you are the backbone and touchstone of Colorado’s history and culture. I am proud and grateful to have had the chance to work with you over many years,” stated Mr. Whitney at the CLA Annual Meeting.

Governor Hickenlooper appointed Mr. Whitney in 2012 and has served for the past 12 years as Colorado’s seventh brand commissioner in the history of the Brand Board. In that time, he has worked with the men and women who make up Colorado’s more than $3 billion livestock industry, modernizing how the state tracks animal movement.

Founded in 1865, the brand board predates the state of Colorado. The Division is overseen by the Board appointed by the Governor. Its main goals are to deter theft, facilitate commerce, protect livestock producers and lenders, provide accurate tracking of livestock movement for use in disease traceability, and facilitate the return of stolen or stray livestock, all of which help to keep the livestock industry healthy and viable. The division administers over 30,000 registered brands and is fully funded by the livestock industry.

About Chris Whitney

During a 50-year business, law, public service and military career, Mr. Whitney has practiced law in Washington, D.C. and Colorado Springs; has served as CEO and a senior executive, administrative officer and general counsel to several public companies, including Harrah’s, Resorts International, Inc. and Grand Gaming Corporation and has served as Colorado’s Brand Commissioner for 12 years working with the men and women who make up Colorado’s livestock industry.

An experienced negotiator and Russian linguist, Whitney was a Presidential Translator on the Washington-Moscow “Hot Line” and conducted commercial and related negotiations in Russia and the former Soviet Union. In 1957 he received his law degree from Georgetown University and received his master’s and bachelor’s degrees from the University of Colorado.

Mr. Whitney served in the United States Air Force from 1968-1973 and was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for service in Vietnam and the Joint Service Commendation Medal for his service as a Presidential Translator. Mr. Whitney’s family ranched in Ridgway, Colorado while he was in high school. A horseman and a member of the National Western, he was appointed by Colorado’s Governor to the State Board of Stock Inspection Commissioners in 2009 and has since served on several civic and nonprofit boards and commissions, including most recently the El Paso County (Colorado) Planning Commission, the Center of the American West, the Pikes Peak Range Riders, and as President of the Pikes Peak or Bust Rodeo.

Previous CLA Top Choice Award Recipients