Bekah Meller from COBA/Select Sires Inc. was recently named the 2023 Up and Coming CowManager Specialist of the Year. Meller lives in Kenton, Ohio, and joined the COBA team in August 2022 as a genetic and reproductive adviser. She has helped 31 dairies install the company's activity monitoring system and interpret the data to bring more value to their operations.

CentralStar Cooperative’s Scott Hecker of Howards Grove, Wisconsin, received the 2023 Outstanding CowManager Specialist of the Year award. Hecker has been a member of the Select Sires team since 2006 and has worked as a reproductive specialist, professional A.I. technician supervisor and CowManager specialist. He has been instrumental in working with customers to review reproductive performance and develop strategies to exceed their herd goals.

Hammink Dairy, located in Select Sires MidAmerica’s cooperative region, was recognized as the 2023 CowManager Success Story of the Year. Owners William and Tom Hammink installed the system in 2019 and have seen a notable improvement in their herd’s reproductive performance and health, including a 35 percent pregnancy rate over the past year.

Representatives from CowManager also honored Ray Nebel, Ph.D., retired vice president of technical services, Select Sires Inc., by establishing the Dr. Ray Nebel Legacy Award. Nebel was then presented with the inaugural recognition. Since 2008, he has been the driving force behind Select Sires’ involvement with activity monitoring systems and their marketing alliance with CowManager. 

Lyle Kruse, vice president of U.S. market development, Select Sires Inc., has worked with Nebel for more than 20 years and describes him as “a good friend, mentor and one of the best dairy consultants in the business.” Kruse went on to say, “A true legacy is defined by the people an individual positively influences and Ray has made a tremendous impact on the lives of so many in our organization and dairy producers worldwide.”