OCM Board of Directors

Dr. Haynes worked as a Teamster and a Stevedore while earning a mechanical engineering degree from Southern University and was then recruited into an engineering position in Salt Lake City, Utah, at the Kennecott Copper Corporation Research Center. While there he began medical school at the University of Utah and graduated with honors. After completing his surgical residency in Urology, he opened a private medical practice. Dr. Haynes’ research has been published in major surgical journals. Additionally, he developed and patented a surgical stapler.

Dr. Haynes is a certified trauma surgeon and was an instructor of Advanced Trauma Life Support training for physicians.

He owns and operates an all-natural, grass-fed cattle ranch in southeast Wyoming and is an advocate for local sustainable food production and healthy eating. In 2006, Dr. Haynes was presented with the Award of Merit by the Gamma Sigma Delta Honor Society of Agriculture for his contributions in the field. In 2008, he was inducted into the Multicultural Western Heritage Hall of Fame in Fort Worth Texas and Oklahoma City.

Dr. Haynes has been elevated to leadership positions in most of the in-state and national organizations with which he has been affiliated.

• He was appointed by two consecutive governors to the Board of Trustees of the University of Wyoming and served 12 years. He was Vice –President of the UW Board and Chairman of the Fiscal and Legal affairs Committee.
• He served as president of Laramie county Stock Growers, Regional Vice-President of the Wyoming Stockgrowers and President of the Pole Mountain Grazing Association. 
• He was a Founder and served as President of the Independent Cattlemen of Wyoming (ICOW) Board of Directors, 
• He served on the Board of the national Ranchers-Cattlemen Action Legal Fund (R-CALF USA) Board of Directors. 
• He was a member of the Board of Directors of Security First Bank.
• He was Vice-Chief of Staff at DePaul Hospital and Chairman of Patient Care.

Dr. Haynes’ volunteer activities include teaching as an adjunct professor at the University of Wyoming College of Agriculture. Additionally, he has been a frequent presenter at Health Forums where he speaks on the benefits of prevention and healthy lifestyles.

Taylor Haynes, M.D. is co-owner and serves as President and Chief Medical Officer of Prodegi Corporate Benefit Services, a third party administrator of employee benefits. His experience as a medical expert and a leader in business allows Prodegi the ability to offer clients the unique advantage of physician involvement in the administration of their health plans.

Dr. Haynes is active in politics. He had unsuccessful bids for Governor of Wyoming as a pure constitutionalist. He was selected as a delegate to the 2016 Republican National Convention. He is often invited to speak at political rallies.

Dr Haynes is married to Elisabeth Wasson. He has four children and three grand children.

I have been active in politics and the cattle industry for decades. I founded the Kansas Cattlemen’s Association in 1998, serving as the Executive Director until 2007. I worked with the early founders of R-CALF USA during the same time frame. I served as Vice President of R-CALF USA and am currently chairman of the Country of Origin Labeling committee.I have been married to my wife, Dawn for 35 years. We live in Brewster, Kansas. We have two grown daughters, Avery and Whitney and have been blessed with three beautiful, busy granddaughters, Berkley, Gracen and Harper. Busy in my world is an understatement! I have been the Municipal City Superintendent for 33 years and have started many businesses during that time including a 24-hour Interstate fuel business, a rural trash service and a plumbing business.

We are heavily involved in agriculture as cow/calf producers, farming and alfalfa production.

My involvement in the Kansas Cattlemen’s Association, R-CALF USA and now OCM has allowed me to meet some great people (and some not so much) along the way! It has been a great lifetime experience. My noted quote is “You earn my respect I don’t give it away, regardless of who you are.”

I was recently voted on for a board seat of OCM. It is rewarding to see the unity on the board and us back on track addressing our principal issues with competitive markets!

“GREAT SPIRITS HAVE ALWAYS ENCOUNTERED VIOLENT OPPOSITION FROM MEDIOCRE MINDS.”
Albert Einstein

Secretary:  Marty Irby is the president and CEO at Capitol South, LLC, a Washington, D.C.-based lobbying and public relations firm, and Competitive Markets Action, Inc., OCM’s 501c-4 affiliate. Irby worked in the U.S. House of Representatives for U.S. Rep. Ed Whitfield, R-KY-01, as Press Secretary, Communications Director and Science, NASA, and Agriculture Policy Advisor. In August of 2020, Irby was recognized by the late Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth, II, with an Award for his extraordinary efforts to reduce violence in the training of horses, only the second occasion in history the British Crown has given such a presentation.

Irby served as president of the Tennessee Walking Horse Breeders’ and Exhibitors’ Association (TWHBEA) from 2010-2012 and vice-president of marketing at TWHBEA from 2006-2007 and 2009-2010 . Prior to his presidency at TWHBEA Irby was an 8-time World Champion equestrian rider, and director of sales and marketing at the world’s largest walking horse breeding farm. He is a native of South Alabama who grew up on a horse and cattle farm in Mobile.

Irby was named by The Hill as one of nation’s Top Lobbyists for 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2023. He was recognized by President Donald J. Trump in the Oval Office on national television in November of 2019 at the signing of the PACT Act that Irby helped usher to passage.

Marty Irby currently serves on the board of directors of the OCM, founded Competitive Markets PAC in 2023, and serves on the campaign Steering Committees for both U.S. Reps. Buddy Carter, R-GA-01, and Nancy Mace, R-SC-01, and his written works have been published by NBC News, CNN, USA Today, The Hill, The Daily Caller, Horse Nation, The Washington Examiner, Chicago Daily Tribune, New Haven Register, The Tennessean, The Knoxville News Sentinel, The Pennsylvania Capital-Star, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, and numerous other publications across America. He graduated from the University of South Alabama with a degree in Communications, and attended Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C. where he resides today.  Direct: 202-821-5686, www.MartyIrby.com , www.CapitolSouthllc.com          One of The Hill’s Top Lobbyists 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2023

Director:  Joaquin Contente ,is a son of Portuguese immigrants and lifetime dairy farmer located in Hanford California. I am blessed having my daughter, Claudine, and son J.T. sharing both the work and rewards of our family dairy farm. We are milking 850 cows and growing crops on 500 acres. Claudine’s duties consist of overseeing the herd and financial accounting of the business. J.T. maintains the equipment, schedules irrigation and harvesting of crops to feed the cows.

The dairy industry along with agriculture in general has been changing. Back before 1981, parity pricing was used in milk pricing formulas which provided stability. At this time, I was a member of a local county dairy organization. As time went on prices started to decline for milk! This is when all of agriculture began consolidating! By the mid 90’s my state dairy organization that I belonged to failed to represent my financial concerns that’s when I joined California Dairy Campaign and became a board member. Shortly thereafter I was elected to the board of my dairy coop. That coop merged with Land O Lakes where my term ended.

Shortly after the turn of the century through California Dairy Campaign I became involved with National Farmers Union which I am currently the California state president and opened many doors to opportunities! These include participating in international dairy forum’s, testifying at the USITC on a couple of occasions concerning Free Trade Agreement with Australia and milk protein concentrate issue. Also served a term on Agriculture Technical Advisory Committee and one term on Cattleman’s Beef Board.
Several years ago I had served on OCM board and I am back on board again.

As I mentioned before the changes in our agricultural industries, these changes are very dramatic. In the last decade 25 dairy farms with in a 5-mile radius of our farm are gone, forever! This Trend is Very Disturbing!  Consolidation!

Deborah became a dairy farmer when she married her husband Kent in 1989. They started buying their own dairy cows that same year. Together, they farmed with Kent’s parents for 19 years, while building their dairy herd. In 2008 they purchased their own dairy farm north of Lake City, MN and expanded to 270 cows.

Their daughters, Abby, Libby & Maggie, are the fourth generation of dairy farmers in the Mills family. Deborah and Kent will be the first generation to pass the dairy and land to their children. In the Mills family each generation has started their own dairy operation. Currently, Abby is working on the dairy full time and her husband Jordan helps out daily after his breeding route. They are excited to be transitioning the next generation into the operation, focusing on producing high quality milk with excellent components, which has increased margin without increasing production.

As NDPO Board Member, Deborah is committed to addressing the dairy consolidation issues we are currently facing. “We have already witnessed the consolidation of beef, pork and poultry, we know the road we are being led down by the processors, but we do not have to go there.” Deborah states, “Dairy Producers can determine the fate of their future by implementing Supply Management, building consumer loyalty with the usage of NDPO’s 100% USA Trademark for U.S. made milk and dairy products, and restoring milk Co-op’s original purpose of buying and marketing members milk for the benefit of the Co-op Farmer Members.” The road of consolidation has led Pork and Poultry producers to become Contract Farmers for the Processors. As an NDPO Board member, Deborah is determined for Dairy Producers to remain Independent Producers with the Co-ops working for the producer.

Vaughn is committed to the preservation of competitive agricultural markets which promote family ownership and management of our industry.

Craig Vejraska owns and operates the Sunny Okanogan Angus Ranch. along with his two sons Todd and Scott.  We are located in the heart of cattle country in North Central Washington.  We run a herd of commercial and registered Angus cattle.  We market our bulls at our annual production sale every year in March.  Sunny Okanogan Angus Ranch is a third-generation ranch started by myself and my father, Lou, in the early 1960’s  It actually was a runaway 4-H project that developed into my lifelong career.

I have been active in the livestock industry as the owner of Okanogan Livestock Market for several years.  I served two terms as President of the Washington Livestock Marketing Association (LMA).  As President of the LMA, my wife and I hosted the very first National Angus Conference and tour in Washington state.  Many lifelong friends have evolved thru the Angus cattle business.  I am active in our local and state cattlemen organizations.

In addition to the cattle business, I have served as Okanogan County Commissioner.  During my term I was elected President of the Washington Counties Risk Pool and negotiation the general liability benefit and employee benefit packages for 39 county governments.

My wife, Mark K. and I have raised four boys in Okanogan County, and they all call Okanogan County home.  We have been fortunate to have our children and  grandchildren close to home.  Family is important to us.

He also serves as President of the Contract Poultry Growers Association of the Virginias, which represents broiler, pullet, egg producers and turkey growers in West Virginia and Virginia. He is a board member or officer of Allegheny Highlands Alliance, West Virginia Special Olympics, Potomac Highlands Wounded Warrior Outreach, and South Fork Ruritan Club. He is also a member of American Legion and National Wild Turkey Federation.

Mike is a retired Special Agent for U.S. Department of Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Law Enforcement and former State of West Virginia Division of Natural Resources, Law Enforcement Section Conservation Officer.

He owns and farms 350 acres in Pendleton County, West Virginia, raising broilers for Pilgrim’s Pride that are processed at the Moorefield, WV processing plant, and angus beef cattle.

Mike started in the poultry business in 2001 with turkeys, and switched to broilers in 2004. His broiler facility is two houses, 50×624 feet, starting up to 99,000 birds per flock.

Mike and wife Melissa live on their poultry farm near Fort Seybert, WV and also have another farm in Upper Tract, WV. Mike has two sons, Christopher, who is a PhD in Forensic Psychology and teaches at Palo Alto University, and Zachary, who teaches at University of Colorado, and a daughter, Hanna, who is the Communications and Marketing Director for the City of Fairmont, WV.

David Wright ranches in Holt County, NE and owns JD Printing & Publishing in Neligh. Wright is a fourth-generation rancher and his day-to-day operation includes a cow-calf operation with just enough grass to feed the cows and enough cows to eat the grass. He is proud his grandfather was a cattle-trader. Along with his son Isaac, the ranch hand, he backgrounds the calves to 600-700 lbs. Wright also sells hay.

Wright says, “I love putting up hay; I like the baby calves in the spring and enjoy weaning them. There isn’t anything about ranching I don’t like. I’m a fourth generation rancher and my son Isaac is the fifth. I have a huge burden to those before me and my successors coming up to keep this business alive and well. If I don’t stand up for the independent rancher, who will? No one.”

Wright’s wife Joan is a Registered Nurse and member of the Neligh Rescue Squad. Son Isaac is married to Holly Ann and they have two sons. He has a degree from Southeast Technical College in Diesel Mechanics and works the ranching operation where he gets paid in beef. Daughter Katie is married to Jared and they have one son. She teaches Spanish and elementary and is the high school’s head volleyball coach. Youngest daughter Hannah is a marketing director for a nonprofit health center in Omaha.