Tag Archives: Meet the Staff

Meet the Staff

Matt Fouts, Technology Manager

How many years have you worked for the NSR?

I have worked for the NSR for two years.

What is your favorite aspect of your role with the NSR?

Getting to work with and improve all the different technologies that we use here at the NSR.

What is one thing you wish members knew about your job?

The amount of work it takes to keep all the different systems we have communicating properly.

What is your favorite NSR memory?

Visiting Fair Oaks farms with our whole staff.

What was your involvement in the swine industry before your time with the NSR?

I was not involved with the swine industry before this job.

Please list your spouse and children (fur children included).

I have two cats: Tyrion and Lyanna.

Where did you go to college and what was your major?

I went to Wabash College, where I majored in physics, and Purdue University, where I majored in computer science.

What [ … ]

Meet the Staff

Mick Bellamy, Southwest Field Representative

How many years have you worked for the NSR?

It will be 5 years in May.

What is your favorite aspect of your role with the NSR?

Getting to work with all the different breeders and seeing how they all do things on their respective farms.

What is the one thing you wish members knew about your job?

In a normal year just how many days and hours we spend away from our family.  I love working with the members, but we spend thousands of hours on the road and away from home.

What is your favorite NSR memory?

I come from a Duroc background, so breaking the Duroc boar and gilt records at my first Summer Type Conference in 2016 was something I will never forget.  We also broke the all-time Duroc Sale that day.

What was your involvement in the swine industry before your time with the NSR?

My [ … ]

Meet the Staff

Cassie Godwin, Marketing & Communications Manager

How many years have you worked for the NSR?

I have been with the NSR for four years.

What is your favorite aspect of your role with the NSR?

I love how each day is different. I am a routine person and while I do keep a general routine of how my day is structured, the tasks that I focus on each day differ from one day to the next. I also enjoy how I get to really stretch my wings and use my existing skills, as well as learn new techniques to help me best serve the NSR membership. Clay, Ellen and the organization have really let me make this position my own and try new things.

What is one thing you wish members knew about your job?

One thing I wish members knew about my role is how much the Marketing and Communications Department [ … ]

Meet the Staff

Clay Parrish, Eastern Field Representative

How many years have you worked for the NSR?

It will be 3 years in June

What is your favorite aspect of your role with the NSR?

The people I get to work with throughout the country and the excitement that every time I get in the car, I could see something I’ve never seen before.

What is one thing you wish members knew about your job?

There is never a bad time to sell a good pig.

What was your involvement in the swine industry before your time with the NSR?

I grew up on a purebred Duroc farm.

Where did you go to college and what was your major?

University of Saint Francis (Fort Wayne, Indiana) with a major in Communication.

What do you enjoy doing outside of the office?

Spending time with friends and family, as well as cheering on my favorite sports teams.

Where is your favorite place to visit [ … ]

Meet the Staff

DeShea Wallace, Creative Design Coordinator

How many years have you worked for the NSR?

I have been at the NSR for two years now.

What is your favorite aspect of your role with the NSR?

Every day in my job is different. Some days are spent at a show sitting in the ring picturing, some days I am creating new content for our events, creating ads, or designing another issue of the Seedstock EDGE. Whatever it is it is always exciting and challenging! I also thoroughly enjoy all the wonderful people I get to work with in and out of the office. I believe our members are the best people around and I enjoy talking and working with them daily!

What is one thing you wish members knew about your job?

No request is too big or too small. One of my favorite things is brainstorming what works for you and your [ … ]

Meet the Staff

Brynn Roy, Events & Education Manager

How many years have you worked for the NSR?

One year

What is your favorite aspect of your role with the NSR?

I work in a very diverse roll which allows me to work with both the detail and data driven work as well as serving the NJSA and working with the industries youth. The opportunity to do both, very different, tasks is my favorite part of my role.

What is one thing you wish members knew about your job?

While planning and executing an event may appear seamless to the general membership, the work from start to finish across all departments of the NSR adds up to many months and lots of small details.

What is your favorite NSR memory?

Visiting California for the first time and getting a chance to tour local California Agriculture while at Western Regional.

What was your involvement in the swine industry before [ … ]

Meet the Staff

Megan Dragstrem, Landrace & Hampshire Secretary

How many years have you worked for the NSR?

Almost 3 years

What is your favorite aspect of your role with the NSR?

My favorite aspect of my role with the NSR is helping the members, as well as attending the various shows and events.

What is your favorite NSR memory?

I would have to say my favorite memory comes from this year at the 2020 Western Regional. Getting to travel to a new state, be at a new facility, and then go visit Lake Tahoe made this show a trip I will not soon forget.

What was your involvement in the swine industry before your time with the NSR?

Before the NSR my involvement in the swine industry was that I worked for a local commercial hog and grain operation.

Where did you go to college and what was your major?

I attended Western Kentucky University and my major [ … ]

Meet the Staff

Whitney Webb, DNA Secretary

What is your favorite aspect of your role with the NSR?

I enjoy the people I work with, both within the office and our members.  Also, I enjoy that there are constantly challenges with my position.  There are always new things to learn and I am not necessarily doing the same thing every day. 

What is one thing you wish members knew about your job?

In order for DNA testing and results that we receive are accurate and have passed quality control with our laboratory, there is a series of steps that the samples have to go through, which unfortunately, takes more time than we all would like.  It is very important to plan ahead when it comes to submitting DNA samples to allow for the normal 6-8 turnaround time. 

What is your favorite NSR memory?

I consider myself fortunate to have gotten to make many memories and [ … ]

Meet the Staff

Whitney Hendricks, Yorkshire Secretary

How many years have you worked for the NSR?

6 years

What is your favorite aspect of your role with the NSR?

Traveling to the NSR and NJSA shows.

What is your favorite NSR memory?

Three weeks into my job with the NSR, we were loaded up and headed to Perry, Georgia for the Winter Type Conference. The day traveling down, Georgia got snow/ice and people were stopping and abandoning their vehicles along the interstate. A 12-hour trip turned into about a 30-hour trip. The four of us girls in our vehicle listened to the best music and told the funniest stories and jokes throughout the entire drive.

What was your involvement in the swine industry before your time with the NSR?

I grew up on a small farm in Elwood, Indiana with about 25 sows. Growing up I was an NJSA [ … ]

Meet the Staff

Lisa Kennedy, Pedigree Department Director

How many years have you worked for the NSR?  30 years

What is your favorite aspect of your role with the NSR?  I would have to say the shows as it has allowed me to meet so many people,  many of which have become lifelong friends. 

What is one thing you wish members knew about your job?  That each of us at NSR have more than one role but our top priority remains customer service. 

What is your favorite NSR memory?  I have many fond memories so it’s difficult to say I have a favorite. One would be the many road trips with Robin over the years.   Also traveling with my coworkers and getting to know them on a more personal basis and the adventures we’ve had. 

What was your involvement in the swine industry before your time with the NSR? [ … ]