Effective January 1, 2022 Ron Metz will assume the responsibilities of PDCA president replacing Laura Christofk.
Christofk was elected president of the Purebred Dexter Cattle Association in July 2017 with a twofold agenda:
Promote Dexters first, association second
Make owning and registering Dexters easier, not harder
When asked if she felt she had attained the goals she set out to accomplish in PDCA, Christofk says," Definitely. Those two simple concepts have driven every management decision and policy changes we have made to this point and were front and center when we updated the association Bylaws in 2019.
"When I assumed leadership at PDCA the majority of our budget was spent on producing The Dexter Cattle Journal magazine. I was proud of the quality of the publication and it was definitely a feather in the cap of PDCA, but our membership renewal survey showed overwhelmingly that members feel it is the #1 job of the association to market and promote Dexters (not the association) on a national scale and the magazine did not really do that. The cost to produce it left very little to promote the breed or increase the demand for Dexters so.... we opted try the online Dexter Cattle eJournal as a replacement. Now the majority of our budget goes to promoting Dexters.
"As far as making it easier to own Dexters, we have made it a priority to encourage registration by keeping the requirements attainable, the process simple, processing time short and membership, registration and transfer fees low. It all ties in with our motto: "We work for YOU!" Excellent customer service is our #1 priority and our members really appreciate it when they can speak directly to our registrar or secretary when they need something."
When asked about the upcoming transition putting Ron Metz at the steering wheel of the association, Christofk says, "It's time. I do not have the skillset to grow the breed or the association the way I think Ron will be able to do. He has a ton of experience in the cattle world, both beef and dairy, in AI services and in several different cattle associations as well. How great is that! I chose Dexters because I am the homesteader type, but I firmly believe that Dexters can be more mainstreamed - especially in the grass-fed beef niche, but also in the artisan milking crowd as an excellent alternative to the more traditional dairy breeds. Dexters have so many great attributes that have not been promoted well. I am confident Ron has the knowledge and ability to change that. I am super excited about the future of Dexters and PDCA. In 2022 I will serve PDCA members as Director of Communications focusing on improving interaction with our membership, improving our social media presence for Dexters Today, PDCA, Dexter Marketplace and coordinating Dexters Today eJournal content - a much better fit for me."
