Nachtigall has been serving as interim executive director since July during the maternity leave of former director Carrie Stadheim.

The Stockgrowers board of directors named Nachtigall the permanent executive director at the group's recent annual meeting.

As the Stockgrowers executive director, she is responsible for carrying out the group's policies and coordinating operations of the Stockgrowers office in Rapid City.

Nachtigall said key issues for the organization include the federal government's plan to allow older Canadian cattle to cross the border despite that country's problems with mad cow disease, the proposed national animal-identification program, and the livestock-related provisions of the new farm bill being debated in Congress, including country-of-origin labeling for meat, restrictions on meatpacker ownership of cattle and appointment of a special counsel to enforce the federal Packers and Stockyards Act.

"My priorities in life have always been God, my family and some type of livestock industry involvement," Nachtigall said. "Livestock, ranching, the rural way of life and the people who go with it have always been very special to me. I feel that each of us must do whatever we can to preserve the viability of South Dakota's number one industry, and I believe this is true now more than any other time in history."

Nachtigall (pronounced "nightingale") is a longtime rancher and advocate for agriculture.

Nachtigall and her husband, Dean Nachtigall, live on a ranch near Elm Springs. She has a son, two daughters and two stepsons.

She was born and raised on a ranch in Fall River County where her family raised commercial Angus cattle. She has been involved in the livestock industry all of her life.

She is a former 4-H member and leader and a former Central States Fair board member and livestock committee chairwoman.

For almost 30 years, she has been owner or co-owner of an artificial insemination service.

She was named Ag Producer of the Year in 2004 by the Rapid City Area Chamber of Commerce.

Nachtigall is a Stockgrowers member, serving as chairwoman of the group's Ag & Natural Resources committee from 2001 to 2006 and chairwoman of the Trade Committee since. She served as District 8 director since 2002, resigning her seat when she became interim director.

She has also been active in Dakota Rural Action, and R-CALF USA (Ranchers-Cattlemen Action Legal Fund United Stockgrowers of America.)

Contact Steve Miller at 394-8417 or steve.miller@rapidcityjournal.com