Don Boggs

Don Boggs is the Head of the Department of Animal and Range Sciences at South Dakota State University. Don was raised on a grain and livestock farm in central Illinois. He received his B.S. degree from the University of Illinois; M.S. from Kansas State University; and a Ph.D. from Michigan State University. While at MSU, he co-authored the widely used text, Livestock and Carcasses: An Integrated Approach to Evaluation, Grading and Selection, which is now it its fifth edition, and he also coached the livestock judging team to the 1980 National Championship at the North American International Livestock Exposition. Don was on the research and teaching faculty at the University of Georgia for six years before becoming the Extension Beef Specialist at South Dakota State University in Brookings in 1988. He has served on numerous industry committees and organizations and he has judged numerous state, regional and national beef cattle shows in both the U.S. and Canada.

Dr. Boggs has been very active in the Beef Improvement Federation. He served as the Central Region Secretary and on the Board of Directors from 1991 through 1998. At that time he assumed the role of BIF Executive Director until 1999. Don has also contributed to the BIF's Guidelines for Uniform Beef Improvement Programs and co-authored the BIF Factsheet. Through Don's support and leadership BIF has continued to increase its role to support beef cattle improvement.

Don and his wife, Roesmary, have two daughters and stay active in the beef business with their own small herd of Angus cows.