In early June, the Select Sires team came together to celebrate our dedicated employees. Congratulations to all of our honorees for your commitment to Select Sires and to the success of our customers.
Employee Service Awards
The Years of Service award honors employees whose long-term dedication has helped shape the strength and success of Select Sires. Each milestone reflects a lasting commitment to excellence, teamwork, and advancing our mission to serve producers around
the world. This recognition celebrates not only the number of years served, but the meaningful contributions, relationships built, and impact made along the way. Our 2026 honorees were determined by service as of June 30, 2026.
5 Years – Back row, l-r: Damien Meadows, Tony Zimmerman, Ernesto Santillanez , Brian Pullins, Patrick Crocker and Adam Blumenshein. Front row, l-r: Seth Comisford, Ellen Andres, Tim Peterson and Garrett Schilling. Not pictured: Jason Fleming and Scott Swank.
10 Years – L-r: Tom Peck, Shane McMannis, Keith Gibson, JB Bowers and Travis Green. Not pictured: John Gehauf, Sara Horst, Mark Kerndt and Lorna Marshall.
15 Years: Andrew Nicol.
20 Years – L-r: Rick Ellerbrock and Jack Newell.
25 Years – L-r: Barb Nagy, Ben Herriott and Mark Eades. Not pictured: Luke Fiebiger and Chris Tracy.
50 Years: Johnny Beachy.
Not Pictured: Mike Leach (30 years), Todd Eades, Sonny Lake and Rob Schaner (35 years) and John Wilson (40 years).
People First Awards
This award is given to any person in the company who goes above and beyond to be welcoming, helpful, supportive and encouraging to new employees. These individuals help them learn, feel welcome and become excited about their new position and contribution
to Select Sires. These recipients are chosen by first-year employees, in appreciation and recognition for making their start at Select Sires better.
Darryl Snyder – New members on Darryl’s team say that he is welcoming, kind and treats everyone with respect; he’s someone who makes coming to work easier.
Jaycee Yelton – Even during challenging times, Jaycee consistently motivates and inspires her team to give their very best.
Mike Liszeski – No matter this situation, Mike takes the time to answer questions, lend a hand, and make sure others feel supported and confident.
Your Success, Our Passion Awards
This award was revamped in 2026 to recognize individuals who consistently live out Select Sires’ core values (integrity, dedication, respect and innovation) in their daily work. Each recipient represents a different dimension of success, showing
that how we achieve results matters just as much as the results themselves. Nominations were open to all employees and the recipients were evaluated by a review committee using a standardized, values-based rubric.
Integrity: James Wade – By prioritizing honesty over perception, James ensures that what is promised aligns with what is delivered by his team.
Dedication: Angie Nelson – No matter the task or the need, Angie steps in without hesitation, demonstrating a strong sense of responsibility and a proactive mindset.
Respect: Rebekah Mast-Kingsley – Rebekah models a standard that elevates those around her and reinforces a culture where every individual matters.
Innovation: Mark Kerndt – Mark’s passion for improving efficiency has led him to design and enhance several essential tools that the sire department depends on every day.
We also want to recognize the many outstanding nominees for these awards. It is truly awarding to be part of an organization where employees consistently demonstrate our core values and a shared dedication to Select Sires and our farmer-owners.
INNOVATION
Mary Jo Cherup, Gage Hickman, James Wade, Aaron Lease, Natalie Sneller, Levi Killian, Jess Peter, Chris Wilson, Steve Arthur, Jess Peter, Alli Melvin, Mark Kerndt
INTEGRITY
Patrick Crocker, Haley Wolfe, Brooklyn Nicol, Darryl Snyder, Hayden Ackley, James Wade
DEDICATION
Joe Tomer, Elizabeth Keller, Hayden Ackley, Ashley Gantz, Angela Nelson, Max Boyko, Chris Tracy, Megan Leis, Michael Casey, Rick Williams, Ryan Herriott, Arden Sherpe, Owen Smith, John Selin, Billy Baughman, Janeen Hartman, Kim Schaeffer, Dan Ackley,
Joe Fraley, Steve Arthur
RESPECT
Travis Green, Drew Loy, Spenser Morse, Steve Arthur, Joe Fraley, Dan Martin, Mathias Helbach, Steve Arthur, Keith Gibson, Roberta Behrens, Chris Tracy, Rebekah Mast-Kingsley