The management of the WSU Beef Cattle Operations has experienced substantial changes over the past year with the appointment of a new manager and assistant manager.
Manager – Ryan Goodman
After a comprehensive national search, Ryan Goodman was appointed as the Beef Cattle Operations Manager in August 2024. He oversees the cow/calf operation at the Ensminger Beef Center, producing cattle for research and for WSU Premium Beef, and manages the Cattle Feeding Laboratory.
Goodman has extensive knowledge and experience in several areas of the beef cattle production industry. His experience encompasses research, management of commercial cowherds, stocker cattle, seedstock cattle, and feedyards, as well as pasture management, marketing, communications, and advocacy.
He was raised on his family’s ranch in Arkansas, where they managed a commercial cow-calf operation with 1,200 head of cattle and approximately 12,000 stocker cattle. He graduated from Oklahoma State University in 2010 with a BS in animal science, focusing on stocker and cow-calf management, feeder nutrition, and reproduction.
Goodman gained practical experience as a herds manager at his family’s ranch for a summer and through internships, including a feedyard management internship at Cactus Feeders in Texas, and an internship at a ranch in Wyoming. After college, he worked as a management trainee for JBS Five Rivers Cattle Feeding but concluded that the large-scale business environment at Five Rivers did not align with his career goals. He subsequently worked at various ranches before attending graduate school at the University of Tennessee, focusing on nutritional and reproductive management research.
In 2013, Goodman became the communications manager for Montana Stockgrowers, representing the association and using social media to share producers’ stories. In 2017, he joined the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) in Denver, leading national advocacy efforts. During the pandemic, he briefly left NCBA to assist seedstock producers and market freezer beef, returning to advocacy in 2022 as the Director of Communications at Certified Angus Beef (CAB).
Excited about the WSU job opening, Goodman, who enjoys teaching and helping others learn, aims to enhance research facilities through industry contacts. His goals include improving watering systems, pasture fences for sustainability, and implementing digital feeding programs for practical student experiences. Student workers and volunteers will engage in hands-on learning with cow herd management, record keeping, calving, and branding.
“I want our beef facilities to be open for everyone to ask questions and learn,” he said. “I aim to engage the next generation in the beef industry.”
In his leisure time, Goodman enjoys trail running, testing his endurance and physical limits. He has completed several 100-mile races and plans to participate in races in the Northwest this summer, as well as a 100-kilometer race in the Swiss Alps this fall.
Assistant Manager – Bailey Graham
Bailey Graham was appointed as the Cattle Operations Assistant Manager in March 2024. She is originally from Northern California and obtained a BS in ranch management in 2022 from Feather River College in Quincy, California.
Her professional background includes working at IX Ranch in Montana, various local cattle ranches, and her college’s beef facility. Additionally, she has completed advanced coursework in artificial insemination and cattle management. Prior to joining WSU, she served as a 4-H program assistant at the University of Arkansas.
Graham is enthusiastic about collaborating with Goodman to enhance research and teaching initiatives at WSU’s beef facilities. In the short term, her responsibilities will encompass overseeing calving operations at the university’s Snake River canyon pastures. She will reside on-site in her RV from mid-March until May, conducting daily pasture inspections for new calves. Students will participate in afternoon sessions to gain hands-on experience with rangeland calving, calf processing, and fence maintenance.
In her leisure time, Graham enjoys running, reading, relaxing, and spending time with her two dogs and her fiancé, Jordan Johnson. He recently joined the Moscow Police Department and is expected to complete his police academy training in April. The couple plans to marry in September.