Pictured (L-R): Jenni Birker, Iowa Beef Industry Council Board Chair; Dean Black; Maggie Mueller; and Mike Anderson, Executive Director.
The Iowa Beef Industry Council (IBIC) recognized a local cattleman, Dean Black of Somers, following his tenure on the trade group’s board of directors. Black, alongside Maggie Mueller of Griswold, were honored for their leadership and service to Iowa’s beef producers. Council staff presented awards to the outgoing board members during the 2025 Iowa Cattle Industry Convention on Dec. 16 at the Prairie Meadows Convention Center in Altoona. Black, who operates a feedlot and farms with his brother in Calhoun County, has a long history of industry advocacy, including time on the Beef Checkoff’s Stakeholder Engagement Committee and previously participating in international trade missions. The IBIC team says Black brought a vital producer’s perspective to their decision-making process, ranging from how to best utilize checkoff investments to growing domestic and foreign demand for Iowa beef.
