Wesley Ratcliff of Oakwood inducted into President’s Council for ICA of Texas

Wesley Ratcliff of Oakwood is inducted into the President’s Council of the Independent Cattlemen’s Association of Texas (ICA) by Rosalee Coleman, ICA president. Contributed photo The Independent Cattlemen’s Association of Texas (ICA) inducted Wesley Ratcliff of Oakwood into its prestigious President’s Council during the association’s 2010 convention held recently in College Station. The President’s Council is comprised of outstanding individuals who have gone above and beyond in the service to the organization and to Texas cattle producers.

Ratcliff, who raises Charbray breed cattle on his Caney Creek Ranch in Freestone County, was appointed this spring to the Texas State Committee for the USDA’s Farm Service Agency (USDA FSA). To avoid a conflict of interest, federal regulations required him to relinquish his seat on the ICA board of directors and his presidency of the East Texas ICA Chapter.

“Wesley Ratcliff is an outstanding representative for the agriculture community, and his latest volunteer service -- carrying out and resolving problems with state agricultural conservation programs--will benefit all Texans. He always has been driven to achieve and to support his interests and community to the fullest,” said Bill Hyman, executive director for the ICA, which is headquartered in Lockhart. Ratcliff also had chaired the association’s nominations and legislative and regulatory committees.

Ratcliff is a former captain in the U.S. Army. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Prairie View University, earned a master’s degree in mathematics from the University of Houston and taught at Texas Southern University in Houston for several years. He was a manager for an IBM corporation for more than two decades, started a business in Brooklyn, NY, and Dallas, TX, with more than 400 employees, and was an aeronautical engineer for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) during a lunar mission.

Founded in 1974, the ICA, a member-led association, has become a voice on agricultural-related issues for thousands of Texas cow/calf producers. For more information about ICA, visit www. icatexas.com. The 2011 ICA convention and trade show is scheduled June 22-24 in Galveston at the Moody Gardens Hotel, Spa and Convention Center.