The Gambia RPCV Heather Buckmaster to head Oklahoma Beef Council



The Gambia RPCV Heather Buckmaster to head Oklahoma Beef Council

Oklahoma beef council selects new director
Jan 8, 2005

The Daily Oklahoman

by Jim Stafford

Jan. 8--Heather Buckmaster's career has taken her from a farm near Hydro to West Africa to Colorado and now back "home" as the new executive director of the Oklahoma Beef Council.

Buckmaster, 36, will succeed Michael Kelsey as director of the beef council when she assumes the post on Monday. Kelsey resigned as the council director in October to become executive director of the industry group, Nebraska Cattlemen Inc.

Buckmaster's "homecoming" comes after a tenure of more than seven years as marketing director for the Colorado Beef Council in Denver and a two-year tour of Gambia, Africa, as a Peace Corps volunteer.

In between, she earned a master's degree in agricultural economics from Oklahoma State University.

"When I came back from Peace Corps, I really thought I was going to go into international ag development, but I always tell people I guess the cattle industry is genetic and I have no hope," she said. "I came back to Oklahoma, rediscovered my roots and it's like I'm supposed to work for the cattle industry."

Buckmaster grew up on a wheat-stocker cattle farming operation near Hydro, and the Oklahoma Beef Council position brings her closer to her parents, Reid and Coleen Buckmaster.

Those Oklahoma ties played a part in luring her back.

"Home is always a major call to anyone and being able to take that (Colorado) experience and go to work for the Oklahoma beef producers," Buckmaster said. "I love the (cattle) industry, I love the people. They are awesome individuals, and it's a wonderful industry to work for."

The Beef Council is funded by the beef checkoff, from which $1 dollar from each animal sold is set aside for beef promotion and education programs.

Of course, Buckmaster also works for an industry that has been buffeted by mad cow discoveries both in the United States in December 2003 and in Canada as recently as last month.

Beef demand remained strong after this nation's first case was discovered in a lone cow in Washington state, and the industry continues to enjoy strong cattle prices and beef demand.

Chalk it up to the fact that the industry laid a "strong foundation" of consumer confidence in beef through education programs, Buckmaster said.

"Preparation was absolutely key, and we did have science on our side," she said. "I think we have the safest beef supply in the world, and I want consumers in Oklahoma to understand that."

Buckmaster brings to Oklahoma's industry much needed ties to the national beef promotion organization that also is based in Colorado, said James Campbell, Oklahoma Beef Council chairman.

"We felt like with her experience with the Colorado Beef Council, she could hit the ground running," Campbell said.

Steve Smola, president of the Oklahoma Cattlemen's Association, said Buckmaster's Oklahoma ties also should aid her in the new job.

"The main thing is we are promoting beef in our state, but we also need somebody who can collaborate and visit with our producers statewide," he said. "We think she's a good fit."

When this story was posted in January 2005, this was on the front page of PCOL:

Coleman: Peace Corps mission and expansion Senator Norm Coleman, Chairman of the Senate Subcommittee that oversees the Peace Corps, says in an op-ed, A chance to show the world America at its best: "Even as that worthy agency mobilizes a "Crisis Corps" of former Peace Corps volunteers to assist with tsunami relief, I believe an opportunity exists to rededicate ourselves to the mission of the Peace Corps and its expansion to touch more and more lives."

RPCVs active in new session of Congress In the new session of Congress that begins this week, RPCV Congressman Tom Petri has a proposal to bolster Social Security, Sam Farr supported the objection to the Electoral College count, James Walsh has asked for a waiver to continue heading a powerful Appropriations subcommittee, Chris Shays will no longer be vice chairman of the Budget Committee, and Mike Honda spoke on the floor honoring late Congressman Robert Matsui.

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January 8, 2005: This Week's Top Stories Zambia RPCV Karla Berg interviews 1,374 people on Peace 7 Jan Breaking Taboo, Mandela Says Son Died of AIDS 6 Jan Dreadlocked PCV raises eyebrows in Africa 6 Jan RPCV Jose Ravano directs CARE's efforts in Sri Lanka 6 Jan Persuading Retiring Baby Boomers to Volunteer 6 Jan Inventor of "Drown Proofing" retires 6 Jan NPCA Membership approves Board Changes 5 Jan Timothy Shriver announces "Rebuild Hope Fund" 5 Jan More Water Bottles, Fewer Bullets 4 Jan Poland RPCV Rebecca Parker runs Solterra Books 2 Jan Peace Corps Fund plans event for September 30 Dec RPCV Carmen Bailey recounts bout with cerebral malaria 28 Dec more top stories...

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Latest: RPCVs and Peace Corps provide aid Peace Corps made an appeal last week to all Thailand RPCV's to consider serving again through the Crisis Corps and more than 30 RPCVs have responded so far. RPCVs: Read what an RPCV-led NGO is doing about the crisis an how one RPCV is headed for Sri Lanka to help a nation he grew to love. Question: Is Crisis Corps going to send RPCVs to India, Indonesia and nine other countries that need help?

The World's Broken Promise to our Children Former Director Carol Bellamy, now head of Unicef, says that the appalling conditions endured today by half the world's children speak to a broken promise. Too many governments are doing worse than neglecting children -- they are making deliberate, informed choices that hurt children. Read her op-ed and Unicef's report on the State of the World's Children 2005.

Changing of the Guard With Lloyd Pierson's departure, Marie Wheat has been named acting Chief of Staff and Chief of Operations responsible for the day-to-day management of the Peace Corps. Although Wheat is not an RPCV and has limited overseas experience, in her two years at the agency she has come to be respected as someone with good political skills who listens and delegates authority and we wish her the best in her new position.

Our debt to Bill Moyers Former Peace Corps Deputy Director Bill Moyers leaves PBS next week to begin writing his memoir of Lyndon Baines Johnson. Read what Moyers says about journalism under fire, the value of a free press, and the yearning for democracy. "We have got to nurture the spirit of independent journalism in this country," he warns, "or we'll not save capitalism from its own excesses, and we'll not save democracy from its own inertia."

RPCV safe after Terrorist Attack RPCV Gina Abercrombie-Winstanley, the U.S. consul general in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia survived Monday's attack on the consulate without injury. Five consular employees and four others were killed. Abercrombie-Winstanley, the first woman to hold the position, has been an outspoken advocate of rights for Arab women and has met with Saudi reformers despite efforts by Saudi leaders to block the discussions.

Is Gaddi Leaving? Rumors are swirling that Peace Corps Director Vasquez may be leaving the administration. We think Director Vasquez has been doing a good job and if he decides to stay to the end of the administration, he could possibly have the same sort of impact as a Loret Ruppe Miller. If Vasquez has decided to leave, then Bob Taft, Peter McPherson, Chris Shays, or Jody Olsen would be good candidates to run the agency. Latest: For the record, Peace Corps has no comment on the rumors.

The Birth of the Peace Corps UMBC's Shriver Center and the Maryland Returned Volunteers hosted Scott Stossel, biographer of Sargent Shriver, who spoke on the Birth of the Peace Corps. This is the second annual Peace Corps History series - last year's speaker was Peace Corps Director Jack Vaughn.

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