Contact:
Shawnie Wagner, Consumer Outreach Director
(800) 372-7675, swagner@iowapork.org
For Immediate Release!
Iowa Pork Producers Association announces 2016 youth leadership team
(CLIVE, Iowa) — The Iowa Pork Producers Association selected its 2016 Iowa Pork Youth Leadership Team at the 44th annual Iowa Pork Congress banquet in Des Moines on Jan. 27.
IPPA combined the Iowa Pork Queen and Premier Pork Youth Ambassador contests into one competition this year and is no longer naming an Iowa Pork Princess. The top female contestant is crowned pork queen and the top remaining contestants, male or female, are named youth ambassadors.
The 2016 Iowa Pork Queen is Holly Cook of Winthrop in Buchanan County. She is the daughter of Aaron and Trish Cook. The East Buchanan High School senior plans to attend Iowa State University this fall and major in agricultural business and perhaps minor in agriculture and society.
The two 2016 Pork Youth Ambassadors are Olivia Bisbee of Stacyville in Mitchell County and Ashley Smeby of Klemme in Hancock County.
Olivia Bisbee is the daughter of Jerry and Pat Bisbee. She is a sophomore at North Iowa Area Community College and plans to transfer to Iowa State University to pursue a major in agricultural business. Upon graduation, she wants to be an agriculture loan officer or work in the pork industry with her own farrow-to-finish and cow-calf operation.
Ashley Smeby is the daughter of Todd and Tracy Smeby. She is a junior at Iowa State University and is majoring in agronomy with a minor in animal science. Following graduation, she hopes to work in agronomy sales and assist farmers with their row-crop production.
Fifteen young women and men entered this year’s competition. All of the contestants participated in interviewing and communications exercises and were judged on their skills, poise, presentation and overall knowledge of the pork industry and Iowa agriculture.
Cook, Bisbee and Smeby will represent IPPA at various pork promotional and educational events throughout the year. Each receives a $4,000 scholarship from IPPA.
The 2015 Iowa Pork Youth Leadership Team of Queen Christy Calderwood of Traer in Tama County, Princess Emily Cook of Hubbard in Hardin County and Alex Conover of Holstein in Ida County concluded their terms with farewell speeches at the banquet.
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(Editor’s Note: Official portraits will be available upon request in early February.)