CYL Semi-finalists named with strong representation from Alberta

Earlier this Spring, the Canadian Cattle Association (CCA) Cattlemen’s Young Leaders (CYL) Mentorship Program announced its 24 semi-finalists for the upcoming 2022-2023 program year. Included in this year’s 24 semi-finalists are 11 impressive young leaders from Alberta.

The CYL program is designed for young people aged 18-35 across Canada involved in various areas of the beef supply chain. The program seeks to build the next generation of industry leaders through mentorship and various professional and personal development opportunities. Through these opportunities, CYL participants are equipped with the skills they need to further the success of the Canadian beef industry.

The 2022 Alberta semi-finalists, in no particular order, are:

• Austin Ashbacher (Arrowwood)
• Carling Matejka (Ponoka)
• Delanie Knull (Crossfield)
• Gleise Medeiros da Silva (Edmonton)
• Heath Ferguson (Calgary)
• Jill Renton (Cayley)
• Morgan Williams (Gibbons)
• Nicky Nixdorff (Airdrie)
• Russell Gallelli (Crossfield)
• Sarah Golby (Youngstown)
• Shae Wasyliw (High River)

“It’s important to have programs like this in our industry to give our young people the tools and resources they need to succeed,” said CCA President, Reg Schellenberg. “Their ideas and optimism on industry challenges and opportunities inspire our work to make sure we’re building a successful way of life for generations to come.”

Moving forward, the CYL semi-finalists will attend the Canadian Beef Industry Conference (CBIC) this summer where they will participate in the final round of competition on August 16, 2022, known as, “CYL Selections”. Here they will compete in judged roundtable discussions on timely beef industry topics for a chance to be one of 16 finalists awarded a spot in the upcoming program year. CYL finalists are then paired with an industry leader in their specific area of interest in the beef industry for a nine-month mentorship opportunity. Mentorship topic areas in the past have included sustainable grazing practices, succession planning, industry policy, business risk management tools, and much more. As part of this experience, CYLs are also granted a $2,000 budget to fund travel and their engagement in beef industry events, meeting with their mentor, and participation in learning opportunities.

The CCA congratulates this year’s Alberta semi-finalists for their hard work and support of the beef industry and wishes all semi-finalists the best of luck during the final round of competition. 

For a full list of this year’s semi-finalists from across Canada, check out the news release under the News & Events section at www.cattle.ca. 

This article was first published in Volume 2 Issue 3 of ABP Magazine (July 2022). Watch for more digital content from the magazine on ABP Daily.