Age as of March 1, 2024: 74

Residence Location: Nunn, Colorado

Place of Operation: Greeley, Colorado

Business Experience: I have owned and operated Wagner Ranch for over 45 years. We raise registered Charolais cattle and Border Collie cattle dogs and have a bull sale every Spring. In the past we have raised registered Suffolk sheep, replacement dairy heifers, hay and wheat. I founded and have served for 30 years as President and CEO of Gene Check, Inc, a biotechnology company which was initially funded by research grants for the development of DNA diagnostic technologies and more recently providing DNA diagnostic testing for producers of cattle, sheep, hogs, pigeons, dogs, deer and elk. For several years I have been superintendent of the cattle dog trials at the Nebraska State Fair and the National Western Stock Show (Denver).

Education: Ph.D. Biochemistry & Molecular Biology

Current Boards: American International Charolais Association, National Cattledog Association, American Border Collie Association Health & Education Foundation.

Strategic & Visionary Thinking: Visionary thinking has been essential to the survival of the ranch business, including early adoption of computerized record keeping and genomic DNA testing technology. Successfully running a small corporation for over 30 years has required both strategic and visionary thinking particularly with respect to adapting to a changing grant funding environment, having novel ideas that formed the basis of multiple grants and identifying and creating tests to meet changing market demands.

Corporate Governance: Running Gene Check, Inc. has provided considerable insight into corporate governance. In addition, serving on the Board of Legacy Land Trust and having the opportunity to play a key role in the merger of Legacy with Colorado Open Lands exposed me to elements of corporate governance of a differently structured and focused organization.

Financial Expertise: I have been responsible for budgeting, financial record keeping and financial reporting for Gene Check, Inc., the United Suffolk Sheep Association (USSA), the National Cattledog Association (NCA), Legacy Land Trust and Wagner Ranch. I computerized and updated the bookkeeping systems for Wagner Ranch, Gene Check, the USSA and the NCA and applied for and obtained 501(c)(3) status for the NCA. I also worked part-time for the Extension Service, providing tax advice to dairy farmers.

Communication: I have spent most of my adult life in positions requiring good communication skills, including giving lectures and seminars, and being head high school football coach, president of a corporation, and officer on multiple boards. These positions required the ability to communicate with employees, students, board members, corporate officers and the general public. I have also written and published multiple scientific papers as well as articles for more general publications.

Technology: Utilization of technology and awareness of technological advances have been essential to my businesses. Biotechnology and, to an ever-increasing extent, cattle breeding are dependent on advances in DNA technologies. The computer is also an indispensable tool for modern agriculture, both as a source of information and record keeping, but also as a marketing tool. All of our record keeping is computerized, and I have designed, created and managed multiple websites.

Human Resource Management: As President of Gene Check and owner/operator of Wagner Ranch, I have been responsible for the hiring and management of a relatively large number of employees. I am most proud that a large percentage of my employees stay with the company or ranch for long time and feel that they are growing, learning and benefiting from their employment.

Risk Management: Successful agricultural enterprises generally succeed by carefully managing risk. In the cattle business feeding decisions must be made to keep cattle gaining economically while minimizing weather related risks. Breeding decisions must be made with an eye toward minimizing birth weight and calving ease risks without sacrificing production. For our biotechnology company risk management generally involves keeping abreast of new and potentially competing technologies and balancing cost vs benefit for new test development.

Leadership: I have had the good fortune to have been in positions of leadership virtually my entire life, beginning as president of the Varsity Club in high school and including management of technicians in graduate school, head high school football coach, President and CEO of Gene Check, Inc., board member of the American International Charolais Association, President of the United Suffolk Sheep Association,  founder of the National Cattledog Association, and Superintendent of the Nebraska State Fair and National Western Stock Show Cattle Dog Trials.