BOARD OF DIRECTORS

MORGAN DAWKINS
President

ANNE DAVIS
Secretary

KEN LEAMAN
Treasurer

JOY DALLY
District 1 Rep

RACHEL CHILDERS
District 3 Rep

ABOUT THE BOARD

The Board is comprised of a minimum of 5 active members of the Society and is responsible for the management of the Society. The Board is elected by the membership and serves a term of three years. The Executive Committee, comprised of the President, Vice President, Secretary and if so designated by the Board, the Treasurer are elected yearly from the Board, by the Board Members.

Who’s on the Board?

The VBSS is divided into four districts. District 1 includes the west coast states, District 2 includes the midwest, District 3 includes the lake region states and District 4 represents the east coast.

The members of the Board of Directors are elected from each of the 4 Districts, and one Board member serves at large. The Board may move one or more states to contiguous districts from time to time to equalize the numbers of registrations in each district. In the event that no members from a district express interest in filling a Board position, a candidate at large may fill the position.

How is the Board Divided Geographically?

In the best interest of the VBSS the board will stagger elections for board members terms beginning in 2022.

Year 1: Districts 2 and 4
Year 2: Districts 1 and 3
Year 3: At Large Board Member

Election Years

How to Get on the Board?

Prior to declaring their candidacy, a member of the Society must have registered sheep in the calendar year of their candidacy, must be current on their dues and have no disciplinary findings against them. Interested members shall submit a letter or email of nomination to the Society by August 1 of an election year. The Secretary shall ascertain the qualification of the candidate prior to placing their name on the ballot. Directors must continue to breed and register sheep in each calendar year while serving on the Board.

Featured

Morgan Dawkins

PRESIDENT

I'm Morgan Dawkins, the District 4 representative on the board. I'm a practicing veterinarian in Wilmington, DE. I had been doing laparoscopic AI in my personal sheep for many years, when the Valais breed-up program became available. I have to admit it seemed like a cool process to be involved in, bringing a new breed to the US when live animals couldn't be imported. I missed the first year of available imported semen but have been involved in the program since, including adding imported embryos when they became available. I have greatly enjoyed the process as well as the people I've met along the way.

Joy Dally

DISTRICT 1 REPRESENTATIVE

I'm Joy Dally of Shepherds Lane of Oregon. I presently serve as President of the VBSS. My husband Martin and I have been raising rare and heritage breeds of sheep for decades and operate a company that imports ovine genetics from around the world and provides AI services and flock consulting called Super Sire. Many of you already know us well. Our love of sheep and our placement in the industry led us to the Valais Blacknose back in 2014 so we put our experience to work in bringing these genetics to our shores and getting a collective breeding program in place. Our flock now numbers around 60 head of high quality percentage and purebred Valais. Mentoring is a big part of our lives, and we are always excited to see the growth of new flocks across the country, bringing us closer to our goal of a sustainable breeding population!

Anne Davis

SECRETARY

I'm Anne Davis, acting Secretary. I was born on a farm in Portland, Oregon and have been involved in agriculture my entire life. I received a Bachelor’s Degree in Crop Science at Oregon State University, then moved to Colorado for my Master’s Degree in Plant Pathology. While at Colorado State University, I met my wonderful husband, Rob. After 17 years as a plant pathologist working in the laboratory and out in the field with growers, I decided to transition to a full-time wife and mother. In 2020, we had the opportunity to purchase a flock of Scottish Blackface, F1 Valais, F2 Valais sheep, and purebred Valais semen from a family in Idaho. We considered it "The Deluxe Starter Kit" for the Valais Breed-Up program. Please check out www.davisfamilylivestock.com for more information. I've enjoyed meeting people and participating in the Valais Breed Up program. I especially enjoy helping families with young children get started and offering guidance through LAI and ET questions. I believe the strengths I offer VBSS is my detail oriented-organizations skills, customer service abilities and a strong desire to have VBSS advance and succeed for the benefit of its members.

Ken Leaman

TREASURER

I'm Ken Leman. I’ve been treasurer on the VBSS for the last three years. My Wife Nan and I own Wild Rose Farm on Whidbey Island in Washington state. We have been raising sheep for over 40 years. We’ve been in an up-breeding program with Wensleydales and Teeswaters for a dozen years or more. When we were introduced to Valais Blacknose we were smitten. With our experience (also a veterinarian for 42 years) it was not daunting to get involved and we're excited to help bring this breed to North America.

Rachel Childers

DISTRICT 3 REPRESENTATIVE

Our farm, Hesed Farms, was one of the first farms in the US, and the first in Michigan, to have the Valais back in 2018. I was on the original board but stepped down when we took a break from breeding to focus on our family. A dream that started in 2017 was fulfilled this spring with the birth of our first purebred Valais! We have five purebreds, three ewes and two rams. We are beyond thrilled with their personalities and looks! We are looking forward to continuing our breeding program with our purebreds and our breed-up girls.