The World's source for Bovine Genetics
Thorbahn Named NAAB Chairman

PLAIN CITY, Ohio, September 23, 2009 — The National Association of Animal Breeders (NAAB) board of directors, at their recent annual meeting in Kansas City, Mo., elected David Thorbahn, Select Sires' president and C.E.O., to serve as its chairman for the coming year. The election by peers from competitor organizations comes after three years of serving on the NAAB's board of directors. Thorbahn was elected to the board in 2005 and is currently serving his second three-year term. As chairman, he presides at all meetings, appoints all committees and has general supervision over the affairs of NAAB and its offices. He also serves as an ex-officio member of all committees.

“It demonstrates the board's confidence with Dave to provide leadership concerning the issues NAAB will be facing in the next year,” said Dr. Gordon Doak, President of NAAB and CSS.

Thorbahn's career in the A.I. industry spans two-and-a-half decades. He was named Select Sires' C.E.O. in 1999 and has continued to lead Select Sires in its industry leadership. Under his guidance, Select Sires has achieved record sales, doubling sales units in the past 10 years while maintaining its position as the leader of U.S. market share. Meanwhile, Select's 10 member cooperatives have returned record patronage to their customer-owners. Thorbahn is an enthusiastic supporter of applying new technology in order to achieve Select's mission of enhancing the productivity and profitability of dairy and beef producers. He led Select Sires as it became the first major A.I. company in North America to deliver on the promise of 90 percent heifer calves through gender SELECTed™ semen. Thorbahn also guided Select Sires through its industry-leading application of genomic technology. In order to address today's current economic situation, he helped the company implement the new FeedPRO™ category of sires, a revolutionary genetic index that helps dairy producers improve income over feed cost. Also under Thorbahn's direction, Select Sires acquired or merged with three companies and became the No. 1 exporter in Canada.

The NAAB is a non-profit organization that provides several genetic programs, including the Cross Reference Program and the issuance of Stud Codes and Marketing Codes, the Calving Ease Sire Summary, the Random Blood Typing Program, the Genetic Defect Record and the funding of Dairy Records in Progress. In addition, the NAAB conducts various marketing and promotion programs to expand the use of A.I. in dairy and beef herds in the United States. Based in Plain City, Ohio, Select Sires Inc., is North America's largest A.I. organization and is comprised of 10 farmer-owned and -controlled cooperatives. As the industry leader, it provides highly fertile semen as well as excellence in service and programs to achieve its basic objective of supplying dairy and beef producers with North America's best genetics at a reasonable price.

 ™gender SELECTed and FeedPRO are trademarks of Select Sires Inc.

To order product contact:
Select Sires Inc., 11740 U.S. 42 North, Plain City, Ohio 43064 / Phone: (614) 873-4683 Fax: (614) 873-5751