Honors were also extended to University of Nebraska professor Terry Klopfenstein, and Hector Pacheco with the Arturo Armendariz Distinguished Service Award.

2012 Inductees
Robert Rebholtz

The entrepreneurial spirit of Robert “Bob” Rebholtz, Sr. led him to found a company committed to producing high-quality, branded food products through a well maintained beef cattle supply chain. But, it was Bob's ambition that led to the vast success of Agri Beef Co. and significant influence on the cattle-feeding community.

As founder, owner and chairman, Bob displayed exceptional vision and leadership. He created a company that includes livestock breeding and ranching, commercial feeding, nutritional solutions, and beef processing. Under his command, Agri Beef Co. gave considerable focus to promoting sustainability throughout all organizational entities. He was focused on providing quality products through every stage of production and upholding the highest regard for animal well-being, as well as his responsibility to his employees and communities in which Agri Beef Co. still operates.

Bob had a great appreciation for supporting his communities and local educational organizations, which highlights his true caring nature. He was recognized by numerous industry, scholarly and environmental organizations for his commitment and desire to continually advance organizations with which he was involved. One of those awards was from the University of California Davis, from which Bob received the Award of Distinction from the College of Agricultural and Environmental Science. The cattle-feeding industry honored him with the Texas Cattle Feeders Association's Feeders 500 Club in Recognition of Outstanding Support Beef-PAC. He also was recognized by Boise State University College of Business as a Partner in Higher Education. His standard of bettering his company's sustainability practices earned him the Environmental Protection Agency Award for Stewardship.

Robert also was very dedicated to the cattle industry and his community; he served on many committees such as the Chairman of the National Live Stock and Meat Board, Western Regional Council and the Beef Industry Council of the National Live Stock and Meat Board.

Bob's vision, determination and lifelong dedication to the livestock industry will continue to leave a lasting legacy.

Willard Sparks
Willard's passion for livestock and grain laid the foundation for his life within American agriculture. He was regarded as a leading agricultural economist, a cultivating businessman and a humble philanthropist.

Willard may have been most well-known internationally for his various commodity businesses and for being a leading agricultural economist, but he also played a big role in the cattle-feeding industry. He was part owner of Cattlco, LLC, one of the nation's largest cattle-feeding organizations with feedyards in Kansas, Colorado and Texas. The company ran a backgrounding operation in Mississippi and Tennessee.

Outside the cattle business, Willard worked for Cook Industries as the director of economic research, and later become the director of the Worldwide Agriproducts Group for Cook Industries. Subsequent to his time with Cook Industries, he founded Sparks Companies, Inc. to serve the needs of the world's leading agribusiness companies for research analysis and consulting.

His passion for agricultural industries was evident and his dedication to education and other community organizations were top priorities. He continually worked to better the people around him. Through his generosity, Oklahoma State University was able to open the Willard Sparks Beef Research Center. His kindness extended to the University of Memphis where he gave time, expertise and financial resources to the college. He was actively involved with numerous boards and committees at Oklahoma State University.

Willard was recognized for his contributions to the advancements of agricultural business and his community; he was awarded as the 1987 Distinguished Alumnus from the Oklahoma State University Alumni Association. He was also named to the OSU Alumni Hall of Fame.

Willard left a legacy of generosity and ingenuity. He will be remembered for his profound contributions to the entire agriculture community — from crops to cattle.

Industry Leadership Award
Terry Klopfenstein

Terry Klopfenstein, Ph.D., has established a legacy of innovative research and other scholarly work focused on ruminant nutrition. His tenure at the University of Nebraska started in 1965 after completing his bachelor's, master's, and doctorate degrees from The Ohio State University. Terry held the University of Nebraska Wagner Professorship from 1989 to 2007. Over the years, he has mentored a vast number of students, including the 125 students who completed his feedyard internship.

Terry's passion and dedication to education and the beef community can been seen in his years of service and contributions to advancing our industry. He has been honored multiple times for his work within the cattle industry and with the next generation of production agriculture professionals. He has received the FASS-AFIA New Frontiers in Animal Nutrition Award, the Morrison Award from the American Society of Animal Science, the American Society of Animal Science Distinguished Teacher Award and many more. He has served as president for the American Society of Animal Science, the Midwest American Society of Animal Science, and Federated Animal Science Societies.

Terry is considered to be one of the most productive animal science pioneers. Fortunately for the cattle-feeding community, he is still committed to the future of cattle feeding. 

Arturo Armendariz Distinguished Service Award
Hector Pacheco

Hector Pacheco has dedicated more than 60 years of hard work and exceptional loyalty to the cattle industry. After immigrating from Mexico as a young man, Hector worked for dairies, cow/calf operations and feedyards in the Imperial Valley of California. Since 1980, he’s been a part of the Meloland Cattle Co. team where he lives at the feedyard and serves as the cattle foreman. 

At the age of 78, Hector still oversees the care and well-being of the cattle and his cowboy crew seven days a week. His sense of duty for the welfare of his cattle, crew and company sets him apart. Hector never makes an excuse and always sees a job through. 

Hector passed down the pride for dedicated service, quality care and high standards to his son, who followed in his footsteps and works for the same feedyard.