CowManager® honored several Select Sires consultants and one South Dakota dairy with awards.
Bekah Meller from COBA/Select Sires Inc. was named the 2023 Up and Coming CowManager Specialist of the Year. Meller lives in Kenton, Ohio and joined the COBA team in August 2022 as a genetic and reproductive advisor. She has helped 31 dairies install CowManager’s activity monitoring system and interpret the data to bring more value to their operations.
CentralStar Cooperative’s Scott Hecker, Howards Grove, Wisconsin, received the 2023 Outstanding CowManager Specialist of the Year award. Hecker has been a member of the Select Sires team since 2006 and has worked as a reproductive specialist, professional A.I. technician supervisor and CowManager specialist. He has been instrumental in working with customers to review reproductive performance and develop strategies to exceed their herd goals.
Hammink Dairy, located in Select Sires MidAmerica’s cooperative region, was recognized as the 2023 CowManager Success Story of the Year. Owners William and Tom Hammink installed the system in 2019 and have seen a notable improvement in their herd’s reproductive performance and health, including a 35% pregnancy rate over the past year.
Representatives from CowManager also honored Ray Nebel, Ph.D., retired vice president of technical services, Select Sires Inc., by establishing the Dr. Ray Nebel Legacy Award. Nebel was then presented with the inaugural recognition. Since 2008, he has been the driving force behind Select Sires’ involvement with activity monitoring systems and their marketing alliance with CowManager. Lyle Kruse, vice president of U.S. market development, Select Sires Inc., has worked with Nebel for more than 20 years and describes him as “a good friend, mentor and one of the best dairy consultants in the business.” Kruse went on to say, “A true legacy is defined by the people an individual positively influences and Ray has made a tremendous impact on the lives of so many in our organization and dairy producers worldwide.”
Based in Plain City, Ohio, Select Sires Inc., is the largest global A.I. cooperative and is comprised of six farmer-owned and -controlled local organizations in the United States. As the industry leader, it provides highly fertile semen, as well as excellence in service and programs to supply dairy and beef producers with the world’s best genetics.
®CowManager is a registered trademark of Agis Automatisering. Your Success Our Passion is a registered trademark of Select Sires Inc.