FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Dr. Ted Katsigianis Honored with the NAILE Vision Award
By Jamie May
LOUISVILLE, KY-November 17, 2009—Every year new heifers fill the barns and new faces crowd the stand. Association board members come and go, new judges share their opinion, and new champions are selected. Results are never guaranteed at the North American International Livestock Exposition (NAILE)beef show and each year things are different, well, except the committee who puts it all together.
For the past thirty years, beef exhibitors at the NAILE who enter Freedom Hall coliseum have recognized one familiar face: Dr. Ted Katsigianis. Katsigianis has served on the beef committee at the NAILE since 1979.
For his dedication and service to the North American International Livestock ExpositionDr. Ted Katsigianis was recently honored with the Newell G. Hicks Vision Award. The Vision Award was initiated in 1992 as a tribute to Dr. Newell G. Hicks, who served as the NAILE official veterinarian since its beginning, in 1974, until his death in 1992.
Katsigianis explains that this award is especially gratifying because of his deep respect for Dr. Hick, “It’s an honor to get an award named after someone who was so influential on me personally. He was a very bright individual who professionally was so ahead of his time, while still such a fun person to be around.”
Dr. Katsigianis has had a very successful career in the livestock industry. Katsigianis earned his doctoral degree in animal science from Penn State and began as a Livestock Extension Specialist with the University of Kentucky. Katsigianis later moved on to the University of Maryland before assuming in his current position as Vice President of Agriculture at the Biltmore Estate in Ashville, N.C.
Biltmore Estate was opened in 1895 and is the largest home in America. Biltmore Estates is comprised of more than 8,000 acres which encompasses the main home, a 213-room inn, four restaurants, amassive forest and a diverse livestockand crop farm.
At Biltmore, Katsigianis has various responsibilities. Biltmore prides itself in being completely sustainable and Katsigianis works intently on conservation and sustainability at the estate. Biltmore grows all of their own lamb and beef and he oversees the 200-head Angus herd and flocks of Dorset and Dorper cross sheep on the estate. All animals are finished on pasture and are marketed as natural products.
Despite his responsibilities in North Carolina, Dr. Katsigianis always finds time to be in Louisville, Ky., for the NAILE. Dr. Katsigianis says he comes back every year because he gets to witness some of the most elite breeding stock in the nation walk through the show ring and it helps him get ideas for his Biltmore’s program. “This is the most prestigious purebred show in the country and as a professional in the livestock industry it is extremely valuable to be here every November,” he states.
Dr. Katsigianis says that networks and reconnections made at the NAILE are also very important. “These guys at the head table are some of my closet friends and Iam sure our connection is what makes the NAILE one of the smoothest run livestock shows in the world. When people tell us that, it is extremely gratifying.”
The NAILE is an exhausting week for all of the beef committee, but Dr. Katsigianis knows that therelationships and knowledge he has gained makes it completely worth it—and keeps him coming back.
Dr. Ted Katsigianis is the 18th recipient of the Newell G. Hicks Vision Award. All honorees are:
1992 Garland Bastin1999 Doug Sheperd2006 David Snider
1993 Dean Hurlbut2000 Jimmy Claycomb2007 Dr. John Moran
1994 Roy D. Gibson2001 Cecil Goodlett2008 Dr. John Johns
1995 Claude L. Brock 2002 Jean Callaghan2009 Dr. Ted Katsigianis
1996 Larry Legg2003 Chuck Grove
1997 Linda Martin2004 David Sparrow
1998 J ack Ragsdale2005 Bill Turnquist
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