A Message from Executive Director, Susan J. Kibbe

Good morning members,

Aren’t we glad that the August heat has subsided somewhat and some of us have been recipients of some much needed rain!

We’ve been working hard to ensure that our 14th annual meeting and fundraiser will be another great success. We’d like to thank those that have already provided support for our cause in one or more ways: by sponsoring, donating a silent or live auction item or a raffle item, and committing to attend and bid on auction items and purchase raffle tickets. Your support of this organization, your organization, is so very important to STPRA’s future. If you have not contributed yet, please consider doing so. It would be greatly appreciated!

A few months ago we were ask to help promote the Advancing Texas – Texas A&M AgriLife road show that was making its way through South Texas. We helped get the word out to our members and others in the South Texas region concerning the two planned events in Corpus Christi and McAllen. The purpose of AgriLife’s efforts in Corpus Christ on August 20th was to focus on the issues of wildlife conservation, border security, water resources, and land demography. Also mentioned were land owners’ legal issues such as leases, landowner liability, pipeline easement negotiation, oil and gas law, and water law. 

A panel of speakers, which addressed specific questions posed to each, included Neal Wilkins, Ph.D. – STPRA board member and President and CEO, East Foundation; T. Michael O’Connor – Victoria County Sheriff; and Bob McCan –Fifth-Generation McFaddin Enterprises Rancher, Past President, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, Past President, Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association. Roel Lopez, Ph.D. – Director, Texas A&M Natural Resources Institute served as the moderator. Susan Ballabina, Ph.D., Deputy Vice Chancellor, Texas A&M AgriLife gave opening and closing remarks.

The take-away from the event was that these are changing times for agriculture and landownership and that Texas rural lands intertwine with our state’s history, economy, environment and everyday life. Agriculture and landowners need to adapt and focus on the issues, many of which being related to land stewardship, that will continue to affect them and their heirs now and in the future. 

Texas A&M AgriLife is working to ensure that the curricula taught at Texas A&M reflects those needs. The event underscored that Texas universities are vital to landowner successes and we appreciate that Texas A&M is the agriculture leader in our state.

I’d like to thank all of our members who attended the event. To learn more about Advancing Texas – Texas A&M AgriLife, visit their website at: agrilife.org/advancingtexas

We will continue to focus on all the issues that affect South Texans and serve as a leader for the South Texas region. Thank you for helping us get here!

Until next month,

---

Susan J. Kibbe
Office (361) 348-3020
Susan@STPRA.org

---