DENVER — The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) announced on Sept. 18 that Colin Woodall would take over as its CEO. Woodall succeeds Kendal Frazier, who served as CEO for the past four years of his 34-year career with the NCBA.

Woodall joined the NCBA in 2004, most recently serving as the senior vice president for government affairs.

“Colin has served NCBA members for 15 years, and in that time, he has done a great deal for beef producers everywhere,” said NCBA president Jennifer Houston. “Much of his work and many of the victories registered by NCBA in Washington, DC, are the result of his ability to build coalitions and bring people together across political divides.”

Houston said that Woodall’s success in Washington will help his transition to lead NCBA’s work as a Beef Checkoff Program contractor. 

“In his new role as NCBA CEO, there is no doubt that Colin will be an outstanding advocate for the Beef Checkoff and the essential work being done to build consumer demand,” said Houston. “Colin’s passion for the beef community has made him one of the most effective advocates in American agriculture and I’m excited that he will now be applying that same passion to the work NCBA is conducting on behalf of the Beef Checkoff.”

Woodall hails from Big Spring, Texas, and graduated from Texas A&M Univ. After graduating, he worked as a grain elevator manager and sales manager for Cargill at different locations in the Oklahoma panhandle and Western Kansas. Following that job, he moved to Washington to work on Capitol Hill.

“I am very thankful for the opportunity to lead NCBA and to serve the beef community as the next CEO of the association,” Woodall said. “American beef producers are the best people I know and although our industry faces many challenges, I am confident we can overcome them.”

Following Woodall’s departure from Washington, the trade association named Ethan Lane as vice president of government affairs. Before taking the job with NCBA, Lane worked as executive director of the Public Lands Council and NCBA Federal Lands.

“I am looking forward to the opportunity to lead NCBA’s office in Washington, D.C., and I’m fully committed to representing the policy priorities of NCBA members across the nation,” Lane said. “By standing together, cattle producers have shown they can push back the burdensome impacts of government over-regulation and protect the interests of NCBA members for future generations.”

Lane comes to the job with 18 years of experience in natural resource and land use issues. Before working for the NCBA and PLC, he owned a consulting firm working on natural resource issues.