Posted 11/04/2024

For immediate release:

Nov. 4, 2024

For more information, contact:

Jason Leiseth, president: 701-586-3714 • jpleiseth@gmail.com

Julie Ellingson, executive vice president: (701) 223-2522 • jellingson@ndstockmen.org

Elizabeth Hasenwinkel, communications director: (701) 833-1162 • ehasenwinkel@ndstockmen.org

North Dakota Stockmen’s Foundation 

welcomes new leaders, assumes new officers

Two state cattle industry leaders have been named to the North Dakota Stockmen’s Foundation (NDSF) Board of Directors. Shane Anderson of Towner, N.D., and Lowell Malard of Bismarck, N.D., were recently appointed as directors of the 501(c)3 charitable organization. The NDSF works to provide hope and opportunity for the state’s cattle industry in this and future generations through scholarship, leadership, promotion, research, building and disaster relief objectives.

“We are excited to welcome Shane and Lowell to the board,”said Jason Leiseth, the new NDSF president and an Arnegard, N.D., cow-calf producer. “Their vast industry and community service experience and vision will be perfect complements to our board and will help the Stockmen’s Foundation accomplish its mission.”

Anderson and his wife Joni have one daughter, AnneMarie, and run an Angus and Lim-Flex cow-calf operation and raise replacement females, corn, oats and alfalfa. Anderson is committed to industry service, having served on the North Dakota Stockmen’s Association (NDSA) Board of Directors for two terms, where he was the Brand Board and Brand and Theft Committee chairman and represented the organization at the Young Cattlemen’s Legislative Conference and the national-level Young Cattlemen’s Conference. 

Malard and his wife Shannon have two children, Brita and Clay, and run a commercial Angus cow-calf operation. Malard has also been a dedicated beef industry volunteer, having served two terms on the NDSA Board of Directors and as the organization’s Ag Policy Committee chairman. He also serves on the North Dakota Ag Coalition’s Executive Committee. 

The duo fills the vacancies of Tim Erbele of Streeter, N.D., who assumed a new position on the NDSF Board of Directors as the newly elected NDSA vice president, and Teresa Dvorak of Manning, N.D., who had served as a director since 2021.

Leiseth assumed the NDSF presidency following the retirement of Jeff Schafer, a New Rockford, N.D., cattleman who completed his officer term and was no longer eligible. Randy Schmitt, a Rugby, N.D., cattleman, also moved into the NDSF vice president role, which had been held by Leiseth.

Since the Foundation was established in 2008, it has accomplished the following:

• Provided 115 scholarships to cream-of-the-crop students;

• Helped bring relief to producers who were devastated by relentless floods, blizzards, wildfire and drought;

• Partnered with the NDSA to provide North Dakota beef to the Great Plains Food Bank to feed hungry families;

• Provided mental health resources to ranch families navigating challenging times;

• Established a beef research fund to keep producers on the cutting edge of science and technology;

• Helped develop curriculum to assist families with the generational transfer of their farms and ranches; and

• Erected a new state cattle industry headquarters. 

The NDSF Board of Directors is comprised of Shane Anderson, Towner, N.D.; Terrald Bang, Killdeer, N.D.; Tim Erbele, Streeter, N.D.; Gene Heinrich, Medina, N.D.; Scott Katus, Watauga, S.D.; Jason Leiseth, Arnegard, N.D.; Lowell Malard, Bismarck, N.D.; Randy Schmitt, Rugby, N.D.; and Wendy Stuber, Bowman, N.D.

###