Board Member Spotlight: Dr. Jason Cleere

Dr. Jason Cleere

Executive Committee

Represents: Independent Cattlemen's Association

Hometown: Madisonville, Texas

Can you tell us about your operation?

My wife Kristi and I operate a small purebred operation with Shorthorn and Brangus cattle in Madisonville, Texas. We have two teenage sons, Kendel and Kanin, that are also actively involved in the operation. On top of that, they’re active in 4H and showing market steers and breeding heifers at the major stock shows across Texas and at our county fair.

Since 2002, I have served as an Associate Professor and Extension Beef Cattle Specialist in the Department of Animal Science at Texas A&M University. One of my major responsibilities is to coordinate the Texas A&M Beef Cattle Short Course which attracts over 2,000 ranchers to College Station each year.

What has been your involvement with the Texas Beef Council?

I am currently serving my sixth year on the TBC board representing Independent Cattlemen’s Association and have served on the TBC Executive Committee the past two years.

What initiatives have you been involved with that make you most proud?

I have always been interested in the international markets for U.S. beef. We produce the safest and highest quality beef in the world and there is a huge market potential for it outside of the U.S. domestic demand. TBC has really targeted the export markets over the last few years and the resulting export demand has been amazing. In 2018, I had the opportunity to travel with the USMEF to China and Japan to promote U.S. beef. It was an amazing experience. There is a tremendous market potential in China, and we are currently seeing demand increase because of that market becoming available.

What other organizations have you been involved with, both now and in the past?

I am a member of the Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association and the American Shorthorn Association. Additionally, service to the local community has always been important to my family. I serve as a deacon in our church, board member for the Madison County Fair and serve on the board of trustees for our school district.

What would you say to someone looking for a way to get involved in advocating for beef?

The foundation of U.S. cattle production is our land’s resources and the families that manage it. Sustainability is a popular term being used by consumer groups today. However, ranchers have been embracing this concept through environmental stewardship for many generations. This concept makes it easy for us to promote beef as a nutritious and sustainable protein source for a growing global population. As ranchers, we need to become more proactive in sharing this story with the average consumer.

How would you describe the Beef Checkoff program to someone not in the beef industry?

As a rancher, I contribute $1 from the sale of each head of cattle sold to the Beef Checkoff program. This dollar is combined with other rancher contributions from around Texas to make a tremendous impact in marketing beef to the consumer. One dollar by itself may seem like only a drop, but collectively the Beef Checkoff dollars create a tidal wave of information and initiatives that drive beef demand.

How do you personally share the work the checkoff is doing with other producers?

Every chance I get, I share the impact of the work that the Beef Checkoff is doing to improve demand for our beef. It may be in a meeting with 100 ranchers or as simple as a neighbor that questions where his dollar is going. Actually, it is very easy to talk about the great things that TBC does with my dollar contributions. The staff does a great job using our dollars to develop innovative marketing programs to promote beef domestically and internationally.