Rebekah Mast has been appointed to vice president for global talent development. In this role, Mast will work closely with senior leadership, members, country managers and the Global Dairy Solutions teams to support talent development and deliver training programs for the global network.
Mast is no stranger to Select Sires Inc. or the cattle genetics industry. Most recently, she served as the associate vice president of genetic dairy solutions and talent development for World Wide Sires (WWS). In that role, she worked closely with the Global Dairy Solutions and Select Dairy Solutions teams to develop and deliver genetic tools and training opportunities. During her time at WWS she conducted training on dairy cattle genetics and dairy farm management in more than 40 countries throughout Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Africa.
"Rebekah has a wealth of experience in our industry beginning with field support and sales team leadership in California to her role with WWS in sales and marketing management for numerous countries,” said Todd Kranz, chief development officer, Select Sires Inc. “Rebekah’s passion for the producer is evident in every project that she takes on, connecting technologies and processes for the benefit of global producers!”
To further demonstrate Select Sires commitment to talent development, Alli Melvin has accepted the role of talent development specialist. Select Sires’ goal is to create an environment where employees can grow and fully utilize their unique interests and talents. To support this goal, Melvin worked with a committee to establish and lead the Select (Dairy) Education Summit, a training and development initiative designed to expose team members to the critical elements of our business and support their professional development. As a member of the talent development team, Melvin will focus on her passion for employee growth, development and engagement.
"I am excited about the positive impact that Alli will have on the Select Sires federation in her new role as talent development specialist,” said Mast. “Alli's interpersonal skills, along with her company and industry knowledge, will have a positive and lasting impact on our domestic and global teams as she supports recruiting, training, and developing team members."
Melvin’s career with Select Sires began at calf campus and she then joined the sire department as a dairy data support specialist. In each role she has held, she has demonstrated her passion for working with people and animals. One of Melvin’s first tasks in her new role will be training a new team member to assume the responsibilities of her previous role, dairy data support specialist. She will be fully transitioning to her new role following the August 2023 sire summaries.
Renee Hamilton will also be joining the talent development team and has accepted a new title and role as beef and talent development administrator. She will continue to support Select Sires’ beef acquisition, sire entry and product management activities along with leading beef royalties, genomic testing, and beef event and trade show planning. Additionally, she will now be working with the talent development team in a training capacity to spearhead beef training efforts along with facilitating hospitality and event planning for talent development activities. Hamilton’s organizational and communication skills, along with her warm, friendly personality make her an ideal fit for welcoming people to Select Sires.