May 2025 President's Message

Hello everyone!

It’s hard to believe another month has come and gone and that by the time you’re reading this we’ll be on the fast track to convention.

Last month in this column I announced the retirement of Mr. Jim Handley who was the Executive Vice President of the Florida Cattlemen’s Association (FCA), head of its associated entities, and CEO of the Florida Beef Council (FBC) for 27 years. Mr. Handley has done tremendous work, and he is the paramount reason that FCA and FBC hold such a strong standing at the local, state and national level. My fellow officers and I convened and created a small committee with leadership representation of not only FCA and FBC, but of the Florida Cattlemen’s Foundation, and the Florida Cattle Enhancement Board. We outlined a process to choose Mr. Jim’s successor(s) and worked through this process for five weeks. Official announcements have already been made, but I’m pleased to announce again here that his successors assumed their new roles on April 16th.

Dusty Holley, previous FCA Director of Field Services is now the Executive Vice President of the Florida Cattlemen’s Association as well as, Executive Director of the Florida Cattlemen’s Foundation (FCF), Managing Editor of the Florida Cattleman & Livestock Journal, Executive Director of the Florida COW PAC, and Chief Operating Officer of the Florida Cattle Enhancement Board (FCEB).

Deanne Maples, previously the Executive Director of the FBC, is the new CEO of the Florida Beef Council.

Jim has left us in a strong position on all fronts which will surely aid in the smooth transition to new leadership. Myself, my fellow FCA Officers and the leadership of FBC, FCF and FCEB are excited for the future.

On April 4th, we held a modest retirement celebration for Jim with FCA Staff, the FCA Executive Committee, and FCA Past Presidents in attendance. As someone who works behind the scenes to make Cowboys like me look good, Mr. Handley certainly didn’t want any special recognition. It’s hard to sneak anything past Jim, but we managed to keep the event a surprise until the morning of. Many expressed their respect and shared their favorite stories of Jim.   

FCA leadership was back in Tallahassee again grilling steaks for the Miami-Dade County Days event. This was a great way to get in front of state legislators and advocate for Florida ranchers.

While I couldn’t be at the Sunshine State Soiree, I want to congratulate past president and friend, Matt Pearce, for receiving the Conservation Florida Conservation Legacy Award sponsored by Lightsey Cattle Co. Matt is the epitome of Loyal to the Land.

I had the privilege to welcome attendees to the Ona Field Day. I had the opportunity to provide an update on the FCA and stuck around to learn about the current research projects.

The FBC Ranch to Ribeye Tour in Gainesville was a great day of showing consumers where their food comes from and that Florida cattlemen are Loyal to the Land.

I closed out the month of April with a trip to DC to lobby on the National level. Our folks at the NCBA office in DC do a great job for the industry. Make sure your NCBA dues are paid up, so the work can continue.

This month is the last month to recruit members for the 2024-2025 “Just Ask” membership contest. Membership numbers have been on a steady rise this year and I am thankful for each and every one of you for supporting our grassroots organization.

I look forward to seeing everyone in Marco Island next month for our Annual Convention!

As always, stay Loyal to the Land.

Sincerely Honored,

Dale Carlton