ANCW Regions
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MEET YOUR REGION DIRECTORS
Region I | Brenda Kocher 
Brenda Kocher of Galion, Ohio is the ANCW Regional 1 Director. Brenda grew up on her family’s dairy farm and was active in 4-H and FFA, raising and showing dairy cattle. Following high school, she graduated from nursing school and has worked as a geriatrics and private duty nurse for the past 40 years. Continuing her farming roots , Brenda volunteered as a 4-H advisor for 28 years, serving as head advisor of her club for many years. She has served on the county 4-H Advisory Board and Ohio State University Extension County Advisory Board. As an active Farm Bureau member Brenda has served in various positions including County President, Treasurer, and Safety Coordinator, has been a delegate for State Policy Committee and served on State Policy and cattle committees. She also planned leadership-training programs while serving on the Farm Bureau State Young Farmer Committee. And she has been an active church member her entire life. Brenda and husband Mike own MKB Farms LTD, a farming operation which raises 2500 acres of corn, soybeans, wheat and hay and feeds 800 head of fat cattle. Their son, Nick, works full-time on the farm. They have two married children and five grandchildren who live nearby and help on the farm. Brenda Kocher is an active CattleWomen member at the county and state level, having planned and worked on events teaching consumers about beef. She has worked at the Cattlemen’s lunch trailer at the Crawford County Fair, Ohio Farm Science Review lunch tent and Ohio State Fair CattleWomen booth. She has been a Master of Beef Advocate for five years and is Beef QA certified. She is currently starting her second year as Ohio CattleWomen Vice President. In June 2022 she was the Chairperson for the CattleWomen and Region 1 summer meeting held at the Certified Angus Beef Facility in Wooster, Ohio. Brenda is an active American National CattleWomen member serving on the membership committee for the past two years. Spending time with family and friends, camping, traveling, making wine and playing cards are enjoyable for Brenda in free time.
Region III | Donnia Besher, MO My name is Donnia M. Besher. I grew up on a farm in Perry county Missouri near Yount, Mo, not far from the Bollinger County line. I graduated from Perryville High School in 1979. I am married to Charlie Besher and we currently reside on our farm in Patton, Mo along Hwy 72 near Meadow Heights school. I have 5 boys that live in Sedgewickville Mo. We have our farm in Patton that we work daily at a cow/calf operation of Registered Hereford’s. We also own part of my family farm in Perry county. I have owned and operated Bollinger County Abstract and Title in Marble Hill since 1998. I currently serve on as a board director for Missouri Heritage Mutual Insurance Company. I am a member of Missouri Cattlewomen and Missouri Cattlemen Associations. I was President for Missouri Cattlewomen in 2021. In our spare time, we enjoy camping and spending time with our families, the boys and 13 grandchildren. I am excited to have the opportunity to serve as your Region III Director. Region IV | Linda Thorman
Hello, I’m Linda Thorman. I reside with my husband of 38 years, Glenn, in Archer County, Texas, which is south of Wichita Falls. I’ve been blessed to have the opportunity my entire life to be involved in the cattle industry. Growing up, I spent a tremendous amount of time with my grandparents on their farm where they had a commercial cow/calf operation along with harvesting wheat and hay. My parents had a grocery store and butcher shop, so as I got older, trained by my dad, I worked in the meat market, keeping the meat counter full of select cuts of beef. Then came love, marriage and raising a family with three children on the ranch where my husband grew up. I say he actually starting courting me when I was 8 and he was 12, giving me buggy rides pulled by his little pony which he won in a calf scramble. We raise registered black Angus cattle, selling heifers and bulls for breeding. I’m involved with the Wichita Falls Area CattleWomen, having served as secretary, vice president and president. I have served Texas CattleWomen as secretary, vice president, president-elect, and presently serve as president. Over the past year, I have truly enjoyed serving ANCW as Region IV Director. I have a Bachelor of Music Education Degree, with a concentration in organ and a minor in voice from Midwestern State University. I’m truly blessed to be serving as organist and choir director at Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in Wichita Falls, having just celebrated my 50th anniversary! I also serve the parish as Director of Christian Growth. My pass time is spent enjoying time with my family, especially my grandchildren! A daily priority is watching the sun rise and set, enjoying the beauty of each one! Region V | Katherine Davis 
I am a fifth-generation rancher and a proud mother of three children, Bryndon (age 20), Madeline (14), and Garrett (10). I am honored to have served as Klamath County CattleWomen President (2013-2104), Area Vice President for the Oregon CattleWomen and President 2015-2016, and on ANCW committees including past Membership Chair. In addition to my home and cattlewomen responsibilities, I currently represent Oregon beef producers on the National Cattlemen’s Beef Board. In 2017 I was presented with the Oregon CattleWomen of the Year award and in 2019, was honored with the ANCW CattleWomen of the Year award. I see ranch women as a driving force behind ranching families and believe that as CattleWomen, we should work together to promote the beef industry and our way of life. When not volunteering my time for the beef industry, herding kids or cows, I manage my family's cattle ranch and work as a Soil Conservationist for NRCS. Through my career, I assist farmers and ranchers with conservation projects, research water rights and develop cattle, grazing and long-term management plans. I have my Bachelor of Science degree in Natural Resources and Ranch Management from Oregon State University and a Master of Science degree in Agriculture from Washington State University. Born in Yuma, Arizona, I graduated from Yuma High School, home of the Criminals. Growing up, we spent the school year in Yuma and summers at the Gerber Ranch in Bonanza, Oregon riding the range with my family moving cows through the Gerber Block. I am a strong advocate for the preservation of family ranches through succession planning, enabling ranch legacies to be passed from one generation to the next. Raising children on horseback teaches them to appreciate the results of a hard day’s work as well as their natural surroundings. There is little that can replace the lessons learned from growing your own food and pulling a breeched calf in order to make ends meet. Ranch kids know that food does not come from the store. I am an avid advocate, gardener, irrigator, and full-time mom who enjoys fishing, camping, hiking and traveling. I look forward to brandings and cattle drives with my kids where as a mom, I can provide them tools they’ll need to be tomorrow’s beef producers. Region VI | Callie Martinez 
Callie is the fourth generation who grew up in a cattle ranch in Gerber which has been in business for over 70 years. She is a proud mother of Ainsley (3 ½ years old) and Liam (19 months). I am honored to have served as the California CattleWomen State President from 2019-2020. It was great to be able to travel to our national meetings while serving as President. Callie has previously served as the Credentials chair from 2015 until November 2017, when she was elected to serve as First Vice President. Callie had worked at the Turkovich Family Wines in Winters, California as a Tasting Room Associate. It was great to be involved with a local family operation who is passionate about the wine industry and to increase the involvement with other sectors of Agriculture. In 2009, she received a Bachelor’s of Science in Agricultural Business from Chico State. Callie discovered her love for Agricultural and Ag Education during the summers she worked at the California State Fair. Callie was responsible for overseeing the Ag Education programs at the California State Fair. Callie is a member of Yolo County Farm Bureau. She is married to Joe Martinez, and has been of assistance to him with various farmers wife duties! Callie looks forward to continuing to assist ANCW and CCW with expanding their educational horizons and going beyond their comfort zones. In her free time; Callie enjoys cooking, traveling, spending time with friends and family. Region VII | Rebecca Christensen Bio coming soon. |
Bio coming soon.
