AMERICAN OXFORD SHEEP ASSOCIATION EXECUTIVE SECRETARY UPDATE

• The AOSA Board of Directors selected David J. Trotter of Marysville, Indiana to succeed Mary Blome as American Oxford Sheep Association Executive Secretary effective December 1, 2012 when Mary formally retires after more than 20 years of service.
  
  

  Mr. Trotter is a native of Knox County Indiana where he was raised on a livestock farm. He received his B.S. and M.S. degrees from Purdue University. His professional career with the Cooperative Extension Service began with a stint as a 4-H Youth Development Educator (Agent) and has included assignments in two counties in Indiana as an Agriculture-Natural Resources and Economic Community Development Educator also with County Extension Director responsibilities (Dearborn and Clark Counties). After 33 years with the Purdue Extension Service, Trotter retired in July of 2011.
  
  Trotter is a past president of the Indiana Agricultural Educators section of the National Association of County Agricultural Agents (NACAA), the Indiana Sheep Association, the Indiana Forage Council and the Louisville Agricultural Club. He served as the state representative on the American Sheep Industry (ASI) Association's Board of Directors and served 4 years on that organization's Executive Board as the Region 3 Representative. He chaired several committees while on the ASI Board, including the ASI's Genetic Stakeholders Committee. Trotter is also currently a member of the American Lamb Board; appointed to that position by the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture in 2006. In his duties with the American Lamb Board, he is currently serving as the Vice-President and is the chairperson of the industry communications committee.
  
  Trotter is a member of the Consultant Committee and the Sheep Advisory Committee of the North American International Livestock Exposition (NAILE). If you have been to the NAILE in the past 15 or so years, you've undoubtedly heard Trotter's voice as the announcer at the sheep shows. Trotter has also been the announcer at the All-American Junior Sheep Show nearly every year since its inception.
  
  Trotter and his family operate a small farm flock of 30 ewes and they market spring and fall born lambs annually as fed lambs. They have been in the sheep business since purchasing their farm in 1988.
  
  Dave will be working with Mary over the next year preparing for a smooth transition so please introduce yourself and make him feel welcome to our breed.
  

• The board also thanks all who applied for the secretary position. There were ten excellent candidates all of whom brought interesting and unique qualities to consider. The Oxford breed should be proud that so many highly qualified individuals wished to serve as our breed secretary.

Please check the Junior Association links to the left for 2011 NAILE,
futurity and promotional contest results. More NAILE updates are forthcoming.