Bill Davis wouldn’t trade his experiences in the beef industry for anything in the world.

“You will not meet better people anywhere than the ones in this industry,” Davis said. “The kind of friendships I have built because of the field I am in are absolutely unreal.”

The Sidney native, who operates Rollin’ Rock Angus with his wife, Jennifer, has been around the industry his entire life. His parents founded the family business in 1956 while Davis bought it in 1977. “It’s definitely a way of life,” he said about the cattle industry in Montana.

He is currently serving a one-year term as the president of the American Angus Association and chairman of the board. Davis was elected to the position Nov. 16, 2009, at the Annual Convention of Delegates in Louisville, Ky.

Davis isn’t new to the American Angus Association as he has spent eight years on the board including stints as vice president and treasurer.

The association is the largest beef breed registry in the world with more than 30,000 members. Its goal is to serve the beef cattle industry, and increase the production of consistent, high quality beef that will better satisfy consumers throughout the world.

“The American Angus Association plays a huge part in what direction the cattle industry goes in, year in and year out,” Davis said. “It’s really nice to have a role in this association. I do my best to make proactive decisions that have a positive effect on the entire beef industry.”

Davis is pleased Montana has strong representation on the board of the American Angus Association. The state currently has the most registered cattle in the association. Jim Sitz, Dillon, is also on the board of the association.

“I think it’s kind of a feather in the cap to our state. We definitely don’t have the most members, but to have the most registered cattle is great,” he said. “The beef industry is very strong in Montana.”

The 15-member board at times has to make difficult decisions that affect the whole industry.

“We have to make tough choices sometimes. People have come to me who might not necessarily agree with our decisions, but they understand and respect them,” he said. “Every single member has shown excellent dedication to best serve our members.”

Just like the nation, the cattle industry has been hit with the current state of the economy. There are, however, bright spots. For the third year in a row, a record-high tonnage of Angus certified beef has been set.

“There are definitely a lot of positive things in the industry right now,” Davis said. “The really good news is that the future is as bright as I’ve ever seen it.”

Behind new and innovative technologies, economists say the the outlook for the cattle industry looks excellent, Davis said.

“We’re just really excited about what the future holds,” he said.

With three months of his term gone by, everything has gone smoothly, the life-long Montanan said. Davis is very grateful for holding his current position.

“I know it’s a huge honor,” he said. “It’s been a very humbling journey. Being president has been a learning experience, but it’s absolutely amazing.”