Accelerated Genetics

Meet Accelerated Genetics 2006-07 Board of Directors: Seated from Left: Dave Score - District 1 Brian Brown - District 8 ~ Chair of the Board Allen Abraham - District 7 Carol Anderson - District 4 Dennis Bell - District 6 Standing from Left: Pete Kirchner - District 9 Gary Eibergen - District 3 ~ First Vice Chair Doug Thesing - District 10 ~ Second Vice Chair John McClelland, Jr. - District 5 ~ Secretary/Treasurer John Pronschinske - District 2

The Board of Directors visionary leadership and focus bring ‘Cooperative Spirit’ to the forefront of Accelerated Genetics ensuring future success. Newly elected to serve on the Accelerated Genetics Board of Directors is John Pronshinske of Arcadia, Wis. He represents District 2 of the Accelerated Genetics cooperative.

The Accelerated Genetics Board, elected through the democratic process from the grassroot membership, strive to lead and formulate policy for the benefit of all dairy and beef producers. The current board represents a wide array of operation styles including commercial, seedstock purebred, and mixed breeds. Their experience and management skills provide a great foundation for them to challenge the Accelerated Genetics management team in developing innovative products, research and service to be positioned for future market trends and evolutions.

This fall Dan Weisenbeck, Chair of the Board finished serving his tenure on the Accelerated Genetics Board of Directors. Hence the Board of Directors reorganized and the new officers are as follows: Brian Brown - Chair of the Board, Belleville, Wis. - District 8; Gary Eibergen - First Vice Chair, Granton, Wis. - District 3; Doug Thesing - Second Vice Chair, Winona, Minn. - District 10; and John McClelland, Jr. - Secretary/Treasurer, Viroqua, Wis. - District 5. The rest of the board members include: Dave Score, Boyceville, Wis. – District 1; John Pronchinske, Arcadia, Wis. – District 2; Carol Anderson, Whitehall, Wis. – District 4; Dennis Bell, Gays Mills, Wis. – District 6; Allen Abraham, Darlington, Wis. – District 7; and Pete Kirchner, Clintonville, Wis. – District 9.

With the helm of the Accelerated Genetics cooperative under new leadership it is only fitting to introduce the new Chair of the Board - Brian Brown. Brian operates a 300-cow dairy farm, Sun Burst Dairy, LLC, in Belleville, Wisconsin with his wife, Yogi. They have two daughters - Erin and Whitney, and two sons – Chris and Cory. Currently the Brown’s are working to expand their dairy operation to 500 cows.

The family dairy farm has been an Accelerated Genetics member for the past 23 years and they breed 100% of the herd to Accelerated Genetics’ sires and utilize the PACE young sire proving program, the GEMpc mating program and animal health products.

Brian began his leadership experiences with Accelerated Genetics through the Young Producer Program as Committee Member in 1996. The Young Producer Program is a leadership development program for dairy and beef producers within the cooperative membership area with the intentions of developing future leadership for all of agriculture. Both Brian and Yogi served on the Young Producer Committee for six years developing their own skills along with helping other producers. During this same time period, Brian also became active as a delegate for Accelerated Genetics and was elected as a board member in the fall of 2001. On the board of directors, Brian has served as the First Vice Chair and now as Chair of the Board. As a board member he has also been a director on the Genetic Visions, Inc. Board.

Brian states, “I view Accelerated Genetics as a progressive, innovative and people-oriented cooperative. As a cooperative, they bring forth new technologies and ideas, share this information with producers and ultimately help make the farm operations more successful!”