Australian Intercollegiate Meat Judging Association

INCORPORATED

Meet the 2009-2010 ICMJ Committee

Name: John Carter

Current committee position: President

Years involved on committee: Founder in 1989. President since formation of Committee in 1995.

Background: John is a fifth generation cattle breeder at Crookwell. NSW.  John's credentials include: Marketing Chairman Cattlemen's Union 1978-1982; Churchill Fellow (Meat Marketing ) 1983; Chairman and CEO NSW Meat Industry Authority 1984-1994 (Initiator of livestock language; Gold/Purple branded beef schemes; taste testing; sale yard and abattoir reform etc.) Chairman Australian Beef Association 1998-2004. John is currently experimenting with crossbred herd with 14 breeds already incorporated and the Normande being introduced by AI.

Contact: jcarter36@bigpond.com

 

Name: Hayley Robinson (ne Moreland)

Current committee position: Secretary

Years involved on committee: 2006-present

Background: Hayley was a member of the winning 2003 University of New England ICMJ team. Following participation in the successful UNE team, Hayley was selected as a representative of the Australian ICMJ team that traveled to Denver, CO USA in 2004. Highlights of the ICMJ experience for Hayley was the retail cuts identification, pricing classes and the USDA beef quality grading part of the contest.  Hayley is currently completing her research post graduate studies in Agribusiness at the University of Queensland where she is researching the inhibitors and enablers of innovation adoption in Beef industry supply chains. This project is supported by the Beef CRC for Genetic Technologies. “The meat judging competition really solidified my interest in meat quality and my desire to be part of the red meat industry.  I grew up with experience mainly in the seed stock sector and ICMJ made me see that there are so many opportunities in the beef industry all the way from conception to consumption”.

Contact: h.moreland@uq.edu.au

 

Name: Brad Robinson

Current committee position: Treasurer

Years involved on committee: 2006-present

Background: Brad was a member of the University of Sydney meat judging team in 2003 and was selected on the 2004 Australian ICMJ team that competed in the USA. He was also a member of the University of Illinois meat judging team in 2002. Currently Brad is the Manager of Australian Country Choice’s Brisbane Valley Feedlot, located near Gatton in South East Queensland.

Contact: brobinson@accbeef.net.au

 

 

Name: Sarah Strachan

Current committee position: ICMJ Trainer and online coach

Years involved on committee: 2004-present

Background: Sarah was a member of the University of New England (Armidale) meat judging team in 1999 and went on to also coach the UNE team for a number of following years, as well as co-coach the Australian ICMJ team in USA in 2007. Currently Sarah works for Meat & Livestock Australia for the Meat Standards Australia program managing the eating quality training of the red meat supply chain. Sarah is involved in developing ICMJ training resources and online learning materials to assist students and coaches. 2009 will see the enhancement of ICMJ online training.
Contact: sstrachan@mla.com.au

 

 

Name: Rebecca Underwood

Current committee position: Program and Sponsorship co-ordinator

Years involved on committee: 2001-present

Background: Rebecca was a member of the University of Sydney (USYD) meat judging team in 1999 and was successful enough to be selected on the 2000 Australian ICMJ team that competed in the USA. Currently Rebecca works as an Innovation Development Manager with Meat and Livestock Australia. The role involved working with companies to develop and implement an innovation strategy specific to their business strategy. Rebecca is currently responsible for organising the ICMJ senior competition. This includes liasoning with venues, colleges, speakers.

Contact: runderwood@mla.com.au  

 

Name: Alix McFarland

Current committee position: Marketing and Publicity co-ordinator

Years involved on committee: 2007-present

Background: A member of the Charles Sturt University Wagga meat judging team in 2006, Alix went on to compete in the USA as one of the 2007 Australian National ICMJ team. Originally from a property on the saltbush plains of Hay in the Riverina region of NSW, she has a strong agricultural and rural communications background and is both passionate and committed to Australia’s primary production sector. Alix is presently working in agribusiness banking in Griffith and running her own freelance writing and photography business.

Contact: alix.mcfarland@bigpond.com

 

Name: Judith Grauer

Current committee position: Website and database maintenance

Years involved on committee: 2007-present

Background: Judith was a member of the University of New England (UNE) meat judging team in 2004 and was successful enough to be selected on the 2005 Australian ICMJ team that competed in the USA. She was also involved in coaching the UNE meat judging team to success in 2006. Currently Judith works in the feedlot industry in the northern New England where her focus is on animal health and meat quality. 

Contact: judith.grauer@gmail.com

 

Name: Mark Hazelton
Current Committee Position: University Liason (VIC and NSW)

Years involved on committee: 2006-Present
Background: Mark became involved in meat judging at Sydney University via his agricultural science degree. He successfully gained a position on the Australian team that toured the US in 2004. Since graduating, Mark has travelled and worked in Canada before returning home in 2005 to start a career in animal nutrition. More recently, he has returned to Sydney University to study Veterinary Science and has become involved in coaching the Sydney University Meat Judging team.

Contact: mark_hazelton@hotmail.com

Name: Bronwyn Nielsen

Current committee position: Schools liason

Years involved on committee: 2006-present

Background: As Head Teacher of Technology and Applied Sciences, Bronwyn is presently teaching Agriculture and Biology whilst managing the schools’ cattle program at Calrossy Anglican School in Tamworth. She breeds and shows stud and commercial beef cattle with one of her aims being to expose students to as many facets of the beef cattle industry as possible. She is involved in coaching meat judging at high school level and assisting the committee with communications with schools and the organisation of the annual inter-school meat judging competition.

Contact: b.nielsen@calrossy.nsw.edu.au

 

Name: Peter McGilchrist

Current committee position: University Liason (QLD, W.A., S.A.)

Years involved on committee: 2007-present

Background: Peter is from a commercial Angus Limousin farm and studied Rural science at the University of New England (UNE). Peter was a member of the UNE meat judging team in 2002 and was just successful enough to be selected on the 2003 Australian ICMJ team that competed in the USA. He was also involved in coaching the UNE meat judging team to success in 2003 and 2004. Currently Peter is completing his PhD at Murdoch University in Perth, WA. His studies are focused on ‘Associated physiological responses of beef cattle to selection for muscling and marbling using breed indexes and gene markers’ and Peter’s passion is for consistently good juicy tender steak. Peter is the coach of Murdoch University ICMJ Team and has been a committee member from 2007.

Contact: p.mcgilchrist@murdoch.edu.au

 

 

Name: Michael Crowley

Current committee position: Competition product organisation and abattoir liaison

Years involved on committee: 2000 -Present

Background:  Michael is currently managing Meat Standards Australia – an eating quality grading system for Beef, Lamb and Sheepmeat. He first got involved in the meat industry through his involvement with ICMJ which stems back to when he competed in 1997 and he has been on the ICMJ committee since 2000. He has coached a number of University teams through the contest and is the current Australian ICMJ team coach. His involvement in ICMJ has opened up many career opportunities and he has a diverse industry background having worked in livestock production, livestock sales, meat processing and marketing for the domestic and export markets. Michael is originally from a beef cattle property at Barraba in the North-West of NSW.

Contact: mcrowley@mla.com.au

 

Name: Jeremy Millar

Current Committee Position: Finalist and Australian Team co-ordinator

Years Involved on Committee: 2008 – Present

Background: Jeremy was a member of The University of Queensland (Gatton) Meat Judging team in 2007 and was successful enough to be selected on the 2008 Australian ICMJ team that travelled to the USA to compete. Jeremy now assists in coaching the University of Queensland ICMJ team. After completing a bachelor of Agribusiness in 2007 Jeremy went on to work for Australian Agricultural Company in there processing division. Jeremy has been an ICMJ committee member since 2008.

Contact: jmillar@aaco.com.au

 

Name: Andrea Conn

Current Committee Position: Prizes and Promotional Products Co-ordinator

Years involved on committee: 2009

Background: Andrea was a member of the University of New England (UNE) meat judging team in 2008 and was successful enough to be selected on the 2009 Australian ICMJ Team that competed in the USA. She is currently studying a Bachelor of Agriculture/ Laws and is working as a paralegal in a law firm. Andrea hopes to one day become an In House Lawyer for an agricultural corporation or to be involved in agriculture in some way.

Contact: aconn@une.edu.au