Job Description for President: The President will be the main representative of the USMMA and its primary spokesperson. All contacts and questions should first be addressed to the President who in turn may consult with the appropriate Director. The President is responsible for holding an annual meeting of the membership. The President will be the presiding officer at the Board of Directors meetings, running meetings according to Roberts Rules of Orders and will be responsible for setting meetings and meeting agendas. The President will have overall responsibility to oversee and to review the work of all Directors in achieving the goals of the USMMA. The President will sign all official documents of the USMMA. The President along with the Treasurer will have authority to sign checks. The President along with the Treasurer will develop and present an annual USMMA budget for review by the Board of Directors. The President working with the Secretary will make certain the USMMA Trademarks which have been acquired are kept current with the United States Patent and Trademark Office and work with the President of the ABCCMM to keep its trademark the Horseshoe M Brand current. The President will be the principle liaison with the ABCCMM in Brazil and other international Mangalarga Marchador organizations. The USMMA is now an official NUCELO of the ABCCMM. It is required that the President of the USMMA be a current full member of the ABCCMM so they can be the primary contact of the ABCCMM’s nucleo project.
Ronald M. Knaack
| I graduated from Newhall High School in 1960. I furthered my education by attending Delta Controls school in Canada and have become a certified programmer for computerized energy management systems. I have owned my own businesses all of my working life. From 1960 to 1982 I ranched in California, raising crops and exotic breeds of cattle. I was involved with some of the first embryo transplants performed in California in the 1970’s. In 1982 I started Interstate Energy Savers. I had no idea how to develop or run a successful business. The company was developed around the energy crisis of the 1980’s. I producing free hot water and lowering purchased energy consumption in commercial establishments in twelve states. In 1990, I moved the business to Hawaii because of the higher energy costs there. The customer base was expanded into condominium buildings, airports, resorts and office buildings. The company made the list of the “Fastest 50” growing small businesses two years running. I attended a luncheon at the Capitol building and was presented a letter of congratulations from the Governor. One of my Hawaii buildings won a national award for reducing energy costs. In 2009, I decided it was time to slow down and smell the roses or, as they say in Hawaii, hang loose. Our employees expressed interest in keeping it going and, since it was a successful business, the bank loaned them the capital to buy the shares. In 2010 the torch was passed. I figured out real quick how to run a business from 1982 thru 2010. I’ve had employees from the start of my company to the end so I believe I have leadership abilities that it’s going to take to run the board. In the mid to late 70’s I and some other 4-H parents started the Ramona Country Fair so the kids would have a place to showcase their animals and sell them at auction when the animals matured. I chaired the Country Fair event for several years. The Ramona Country Fair is still an annual event. I have been on numerous boards since the 70’s, and the more important one was the PBR RRF board. WE helped bull riders pay their doctor and hospital bills when they got hurt. One of the longest boards I served on was the MBC condo for more than 6 years in Hawaii. My hobbies consist of owning Marchadors horses and playing cowboy. During the summer months I am living on a small ranch in Pagosa Springs CO. In the past I have gone on horse drives in the Spring with other cowboys, herding 500-700 head of horses sixty miles from Brown’s Park to Craig, Colorado. It’s a very uplifting experience and you get to spend time with real cowboys. In 20 years the USMMA has only grown to around 500 horses in North America. I am running for President to see if I can kick start this with a new board into a faster gear and get more members plus more registered horses. I will need progressive people on my team that’s willing to help the MM breed in North America as a group. I believe in the Marchador breed and I’m trying to do them right by breeding with frozen semen and new imported stallions from Brazil. We need to encourage members to breed new blood lines in North America. Regards Ronald M. Knaack P.O. Box 609 Pagosa Springs CO. 81147 Cell 808-330-1000 E-mail ronaldknaack@ascheck |
Tia Nelson
I’m Tia Nelson, DVM, and is my letter of intent for the position of President of the USMMA.
I am a lifetime member of the USMMA since its inception in 2005 and a Marchador breeder/owner since 2006. I am a breeder member of the ABCCMM since 2008. I have a solid understanding of the relationship between the USMMA and the ABCCMM. Along with other USMMA board members I worked to help the ABCCMM trademark the Marchador Breed Brand in the USA to ensure the integrity of this great breed. Our Vista da Serra Ranch is home to the largest, single owner herd of dual-registered Marchadors in North America.
In 2001 I traveled to Brazil with Dr. Tresa Smith to help her choose the mares and stallion she imported to start her breeding program. We visited Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, and Minas Gerais, Brazil, where we rode and observed more than 700 Mangalarga Marchadors.
In 2007, Hugh Rogers, DVM, and I traveled to Brazil to learn to become Inspectors of this breed. We spent three weeks with Dr. Getulio Tadeu Vieira and many other ABCCMM Technicians learning about the breed and how to evaluate individual horses for breed standard. We both learned an amazing amount about the gait, genetics, and standard of this unique equine breed. This knowledge has been invaluable to our breeding program here at Haras Vista da Serra and we have shared this information with many other Marchador breeders and owners to assist them with their breeding and competition goals.
In August of 2019, Haras Vista da Serra hosted the First Annual USMMA Cavalgada event, attended by Marchadors, their owners, and people interested in our breed. We have hosted a USMMA Inspection every year since. This year we will host the Annual USMMA Cavalgada Event after two years of having our event scaled back Because of COVID-19. We welcome everyone with an interest in Marchadors to attend this celebration of this great breed.
As the Marchador breed grows in numbers across North America, my primary goal as President is to bring everyone interested in this breed to the table and to foster collegiality among owners and breeders. The small numbers of this breed make working together to advance the awareness and popularity of the Marchador a vital component of the USMMA.
I am working with several Brazilian Marchador breeders to bring frozen semen to the USA to expand the genetic diversity in North America and with Dr. George Vilar, planning a Marchador Education Course in Brazil in 2023 for North American Marchador breeders to learn about the gait, training, and breeding in Brazil.
Streamlining and making the USMMA registration process consistent with that of the ABCCMM is another important part of keeping the horses’ registration in each organization coherent as far as naming protocols and colors of this proud breed.
I’ve served in several positions on the USMMA Board of Directors over the years and am currently the Secretary of the Board. I’m looking forward to continuing to contribute to this Association as President. Thank you for your interest and please feel free to contact me at DrTiaDVM@AOL.com or 406.431.8898.
Sincerely,
Tia Nelson, DVM.
Ronald wanted this included.
