KHSI Announces Staff Changes
Katahdin Hair Sheep International announced in January the reorganization of staff positions and the hiring of Alan Culham as operations manager. Longtime operations managers Dr. Jim Morgan and Teresa Maurer are accepting a newly created position with KHSI as educational manager. These staff changes complete a reorganization effort that started more than a year ago.
“We were very fortunate to have such a strong group of applicants apply for our operation manager position,” said KHSI President Henry Shultz of Centralia, Mo. “Based on the skills of Alan, Jim and Teresa, we were able to write new job descriptions that match each person’s strengths.”
Morgan and Maurer have a passion for helping and educating new shepherds. They will focus on answering sheep management questions and developing educational material for KHSI. Culham will bring his vast industry experience to help KHSI develop forward-looking policies and visions. In addition to managing the association office and finances, Culham will be working with industry and university researchers to promote Katahdin sheep to a growing segment of the commercial sheep industry. He will also be working closely with the KHSI board of directors to develop a strategic plan for the association.
Culham brings years of sheep experience to KHSI. He graduated from Michigan State University in 1978 and returned to do graduate work in animal science in 1989. Since 1984, he has been the managing partner of Culham & Stevens, where he has developed an internationally known performance Suffolk and Dorset flock. Culham has been a professional livestock and meats judge since 1979. He served the National Suffolk Sheep Association for 12 years and has served on the National Sheep Improvement Program board of directors from 1990-2015 and served as NSIP President from 1997-1998. From 2006 through 2015, Alan was manager of the Michigan State University Sheep Teaching and Research Center. Culham will continue in his position at ASI as a consultant coordinating the Let’s Grow Program.
Morgan and Maurer own Round Mountain Consulting in Fayetteville, Ark., and have provided contract services for KHSI since 2000. Morgan has served on the NSIP board of directors since 2002 and served as president from 2003 until 2013. He also served as chair of ASI’s Genetic Stakeholders Committee from 2011-2012.
KHSI’s membership has increased from 494 to a new record of 1,399 members, and registrations have increased from 4,753 animals per year to 10,054 animals in 2018.