CALF_News_December_2019_January_2020

16 CALF News • December 2019 | January 2020 • www.calfnews.net “They are wonderful friendships and I try to be sure they continue,” Likes says, visiting in the Likes family living room in Colorado. His wife, Terry, got to pick the location of their retirement home, and she had always wanted to live near the mountains. That works great for Dee since his retirement is really just a new chapter in a long and varied career. His home’s close proximity to the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) headquarters, the Beef Board and the Meat Export Federation allows Likes to continue to contribute to the industry he loves. A complicated business Born in Emporia, Kan., Likes was a rodeo cowboy (bareback bronc rider) and a ranch cowboy before doing a stint in the U.S. Navy. Returning to Kansas, Likes graduated magna cum laude from Kansas State University before going to work for CattleFax. He credits the time he spent as a market analyst there with a strong learning curve, as does anyone who worked with Topper Thorpe. “That is where I began benefiting from the mentoring from Topper and other industry icons,” Likes says. He joined the Kansas Livestock Association (KLA) in 1976 and became executive vice president and CEO in 1984. “For 125 years, KLA has maintained a progressive operating philosophy, valuing the traditions of the past while having the wisdom to embrace the future and the changes the free market brings to keep beef relevant to consumers,” Likes says. Looking back on major advances the association made, Likes credits the Riding for the Brand author and consul- tant, JimWhitt (a CALF New con- tributor), with helping KLA define their mission and purpose.“Those were some of the cheapest dollars we ever spent,” Likes says. “This is a complicated, interpersonal business,” he says. “It almost never is just black and white, but rather shades of grey. You have to respect everyone’s opinion but, at the same time, use a fact-based process. You have to use tried-and-true principles. Principled decisions often aren’t popular at the time, but that isn’t an excuse not to make them.” THE BIG PICTURE IN THE REARVIEWMIRROR By Betty Jo Gigot Publisher Being an eyewitness as well as a participant in many of the most momentous events in the cattle community’s last 40 years, Dee Likes consid- ers himself a very lucky man. What he treasures most are the friendships he’s formed through the years, not only in Kansas but also across the nation. Dee Likes feels lucky to have been a part of a thriving cattle industry. As it appeared in the Aug./Sept. 2014 issue of CALF News , Terry and Dee Likes prepare for the Beef Empire Days parade before mounting their horses for the trip down Main Street. Likes was the parade marshal. Continued on page 21 