CENTENNIAL, Colo. (March 26, 2025) – After a competitive application process, 10 new Trailblazers have been selected for the program’s fourth cohort of beef community spokespeople. The Trailblazers program, developed by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), a contractor to the Beef Checkoff, takes advocacy to an unprecedented level by giving participants the tools and training they need to promote beef to new audiences while addressing and correcting myths. The following new Trailblazers will collaborate with previous Trailblazers to promote community, mentorship, connection, and continue creating opportunities to elevate voices from the grassroots level.

• Emma Coffman, Texas
• Tierra Kessler Duke, Oregon
• Dylan Gilbert, Alabama
• Meredith Halweg, Colorado
• Mike McMillan, Arkansas
• Lauren Moylan, Kansas
• Kim Rounds, Colorado
• Tyler Schuster, Texas
• Stephanie Teskey, Arizona
• Calli Williams, South Dakota 

“We are entering our fourth year of the Trailblazers program and continue to see an overwhelming response of interest and an increased number of applications from beef community members,” said Chandler Mulvaney, director of grassroots advocacy and spokesperson development at NCBA. “The new cohort will join an existing community of 40 Trailblazers who are safeguarding and promoting positive stories for the Beef Checkoff.”

Trailblazers receive in-depth training to become expert communicators, excel in media interviews and understand how to build confidence in beef-related practices when talking to consumers. Throughout the year, Trailblazers experience advanced training from subject matter experts, learning how to effectively engage on various social media platforms, interact with the media, and enhance public speaking skills.

Trailblazer Macey Hurst of Missouri said the following about her experience, “The Trailblazers program is everything I expected and more. The knowledge secured from sessions and roundtable discussions provided a lot of clarity and confidence going forward in my advocacy journey. And the opportunities to put that knowledge into practice on panels and in interviews pushed me outside of my comfort zone in a way that encouraged me to continue learning and excited to do it again.” 

Trailblazers will meet online and in person to foster constant growth and refinement of skillsets when speaking about beef. Upon joining the advanced advocacy program, Trailblazers serve as industry spokespeople and inform beef advocates at the local and state levels on advocacy, media and spokesperson best practices. Every year, 10 new Trailblazers are accepted into the community building program. 

For more information on the Trailblazers program and other beef advocacy efforts, contact Chandler Mulvaney at [email protected].

About the Beef Checkoff
The Beef Checkoff was established as part of the 1985 Farm Bill. The Checkoff assesses $1 per head on the sale of live domestic and imported cattle, in addition to a comparable assessment on imported beef and beef products. States may retain up to 50 cents of the dollar and forward the other 50 cents per head to the Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion and Research Board, which administers the national Checkoff program, subject to USDA approval. 

About Trailblazers
The Checkoff-funded Trailblazers program was created in 2021 to support the efforts of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, a contractor to the Beef Checkoff, in identifying, recruiting, empowering, and engaging with advocates in the beef community. The program will provide a train-the-trainer model to support state beef councils and partner organizations in mobilizing a cadre of spokespeople who are equipped to have tough conversations and seek solutions in telling the beef story.