Cindy Tews, photo contributed

A Fresno cattle woman has been appointed to the Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion & Research Board, which is responsible for guiding a national program to promotion the consumption of beef.

Cindy Tews is a partner in the Fresno Livestock Commission with her father Phil, who launched the auction company in 1990. The duo are also partners in a cow/calf and stocker operation in the Eastern Sierras.

Tews has experience with the Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion & Research Board (CBB).

“I’ve sat in on some of the CBB’s working meetings at both the Summer Business Meeting and the Cattle Industry Convention,” Tews said in a statement. “I was really impressed by the volume of information shared and the great discussions at those events. I look forward to being a part of the process and being able to share the process with others to help them understand how much thought and debate goes into the allocation of Beef Checkoff funds.”

The Beef Checkoff Program was established as part of the 1985 Farm Bill. It assesses producers $1 per head on the sale of live domestic and imported cattle, in addition to a comparable assessment on imported beef and beef products. States may retain up to 50 cents on the dollar and forward the other 50 cents per head to the CBB, which administers the program subject to U.S. Department of Agriculture approval.

A CBB study on the Beef Checkoff Program from 2019-2023 found each dollar invested generates a return of $13.41 to producers and importers. Total assessment revenues for 2024 were $43.32 million.

“We’re pleased to have Cindy as a member of the Cattlemen’s Beef Board,” said Ryan Moorhouse, 2025 CBB chair. “She and her dad have been involved in the livestock industry in the Fresno area for years, as well as producers themselves, and that unique perspective will be invaluable to us as we continue driving beef demand.”

Tews is member of Farm Bureau, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and California Beef Council. She has held leadership roles in the Livestock Marketing Association, Fresno-Kings Counties Cattlemen’s Association, California Cattlemen’s Association, California Livestock Auction Markets Association and Riata Ranch International, a horsemanship, citizenship and Western lifestyle nonprofit.

The CBB consists of 99 members, including domestic beef, dairy and veal producers, as well as importers of beef and beef products. Producer representation on the Board is based on cattle inventory in each state while importer representation is based on a conversion of the volume of imports into live animal equivalencies. Each Beef Board member is appointed by the Secretary of Agriculture from nominations submitted by certified nominating organizations that represent beef and dairy producers in each state or region. Importer appointments are chosen from nominations by importer associations.

“Being a CBB member gives me a chance to increase my own awareness of other segments of the beef industry,” Tews said. “It also gives producers a much-needed voice and helps us have a say in the industry’s overall direction.”