SAINT JOSEPH, Mo. — The future of the Angus business has six new leaders wearing the green coat.
Junior members of the National Junior Angus Association elected six new directors to the National Junior Angus Board during the 2026 National Junior Angus Show in Louisville, Kentucky.
The announcement came July 17 during the show’s closing ceremonies, putting six young Angus enthusiasts on a two-year leadership path that will take them to events and programs across the country.
Missouri also has a familiar face continuing on the national leadership team.
Alexis Koelling of Bowling Green, Missouri, is entering her second term and will serve as the foundation director. She is part of the returning group helping guide the six new directors during their first year on the board.
The new directors are Audrey Curtin of Blue Mound, Illinois; Cailee Flood of Oakdale, California; Lily Jeffries of Cammer, Kentucky; Gage Long of Vinita, Oklahoma; Maggie Mindemann of Watertown, Wisconsin; and Lauren Phillips of Centerville, Iowa.
The board’s new members will spend their first year as directors before moving into officer positions during their second year.
Their responsibilities go well beyond the show ring.
Board members travel to junior shows, conferences and other Angus events, help organize activities, encourage younger members and serve as representatives of the National Junior Angus Association.
For Cailee Flood, the green coat represents more than recognition.
“To me, the green coat means servant leadership,” Flood said.
She said she wants young Angus members to feel welcomed and supported, especially those who may be new to the organization.
Illinois Angus Junior Takes National Leadership Role
Audrey Curtin, a fifth-generation Angus producer from Blue Mound, Illinois, has already spent years building connections through the junior association.
The 20-year-old recently attended her eighth NJAA conference. Her first major experience came at a Raising the Bar conference in Lubbock, Texas, where she quickly discovered that the friendships formed through the Angus organization could stretch far beyond state lines.
Curtin said those conferences have become one of her favorite parts of the organization because they allow junior members to meet people from across the country.
Now she wants to help create those same opportunities for the next generation.
Curtin is also a student at Kansas State University, where she is studying agricultural business.
California Junior Brings a Different Perspective
Flood joined the National Junior Angus Association about four years ago, giving her a somewhat different perspective from some of the board members who have been involved since childhood.
The Oakdale, California, junior said being separated geographically from much of the Angus junior community initially made national events intimidating.
Those concerns faded as she built relationships and became more involved.
Flood said her experiences within the organization helped build her confidence and motivated her to give back.
She also sees an opportunity to reach young people who may discover Angus later than the traditional starting age.
Flood is studying agricultural economics at Kansas State University while pursuing a pre-law path and a minor in agricultural communications.
Kentucky Junior Wants to Give Others Confidence
Lily Jeffries of Cammer, Kentucky, grew up around Angus cattle and has been showing since she was 9.
The fifth-generation Angus breeder said former junior board members played an important role in her development, whether helping her in the show ring or giving her encouragement before competitions.
Those experiences helped convince Jeffries to seek a position on the national board.
She wants to provide the same kind of support to younger members who may feel unsure of themselves or intimidated when entering a large breed organization.
Jeffries is studying animal science with a pre-law major at Oklahoma State University.
Oklahoma Junior Has Chased the Green Coat for Years
Gage Long of Vinita, Oklahoma, has spent 11 years showing Angus cattle at the junior national level.
The fourth-generation Angus breeder said he first wanted to serve on the national board when he was 9 years old and saw older members wearing the green coats.
Now he gets the opportunity to wear one himself.
Long has built a strong show-ring record, including success in the Phenotype Genotype Show competition at the National Junior Angus Show.
But he said the board position is about more than competition.
Long wants younger Angus members to see him as a role model while representing the breed wherever he travels.
He is attending West Texas A&M University and studying agricultural business and economics.
Wisconsin Junior Focuses on the Next Step
Maggie Mindemann of Watertown, Wisconsin, was introduced to cattle shows almost immediately.
She attended her first show when she was just 8 days old at the Minnesota State Fair.
Mindemann grew up on a family cattle operation that sells freezer beef and show cattle. She and her siblings have all participated in showing cattle while taking on different roles within the family business.
Now she wants to help other junior members as they begin making decisions about college and their careers.
Events such as Raising the Bar gave Mindemann an opportunity to explore colleges and consider her own future. She hopes to provide similar encouragement to other young people.
Mindemann attends Western Illinois University, where she studies agricultural business with a minor in animal science.
Iowa Junior Remembers Watching the Green Coats
Lauren Phillips of Centerville, Iowa, said her interest in Angus cattle began when her father purchased two heifers at the Iowa Beef Expo.
She was 8 years old at the time.
Phillips quickly became involved in the junior association and went on to participate in national shows and leadership programs, including Raising the Bar and LEAD.
Her desire to serve on the board started even earlier, when she watched green-coated junior board members helping younger exhibitors in the show ring.
Now she wants to fill that same role.
Phillips said wearing the green coat carries an expectation to lead, listen and help others.
She is studying agricultural communications at Iowa State University.
A National Team With a Midwest Connection
The six new directors join a returning group that includes chairman Lyle Perrier of Eureka, Kansas, and vice chairman Ava Wood of Willow Spring, North Carolina.
Other returning officers are Koelling of Bowling Green, Missouri, as foundation director; Keely Shultz of Danielsville, Georgia, as secretary; Bryce Hofing of Coatesville, Indiana, as events director; and Adeline Tommell of Fonda, New York, as education director.
Together, the board will spend the next two years representing junior Angus members and helping develop the next generation of leaders in the cattle industry.
For the six new directors, the green coat is a new responsibility. For the organization, it is another step in building young leaders who understand the cattle business, know the value of agriculture and are ready to carry the Angus industry forward.
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