Managing Membership

Cultivating Leadership for Breed Organizations

Welcome to Module 2 of our Cultivating Leadership Training Series. This program will help breed associations, clubs, and registries establish and achieve high standards of operation for longevity and continued success. Thriving organizations save more livestock and poultry. The Cultivating Leadership Training Series also aligns with general best practices and is especially beneficial to officers and leaders of breed associations and clubs.This is the second of 9 modules in the series.

Growing and retaining members is essential for member-based organizations like breed associations and clubs. But how do you recruit members and keep them engaged once they join? In this live webinar about Managing Membership, experts will outline the basics of a membership program, including how to become and remain a member your organization, membership agreements, member responsibilities, member meetings, membership types and privileges, and what to include in your organization's by-laws.


Banner photo of a Hog Island sheep courtesy of Peter Kasmala


Your Instructor


The Livestock Conservancy
The Livestock Conservancy

This course is taught by Judy Brummer, Becky Mahoney, Mari-Beth O’Neil, and Jeannette Beranger.

Judy Brummer has been involved in the Rocky Mountain Horse Association (RMHA) for more than 10 years. She has served on several committees, as a Director of Examiners, and as President for 6 years. She also assisted in the establishment of the Rocky Mountain Horse Foundation and became a member of their board. Judy has traveled across the United States and overseas as a representative of the RMHA and the Rocky Mountain Horse, and was inducted into the Charles Kilburn Society, an honorary society recognizing individuals who have made a significant contribution to the RMHA and the Rocky Mountain Horse breed.

Becky Mahoney has been breed registering St Croix Hair Sheep and American Guinea Hogs since 2014 for both the family freezer and for quality breeding stock. She rescued the rare lost line of guinea hogs known as Hesters and is the conservator of their genetics, working to disseminate them to other committed breeders of AGH. She is a regular column contributor to the American Guinea Hog Association newsletter, Curley Tales, writing about home butchering and use of the whole hog.

Mari-Beth O’Neill is the VP of Sport Services at the American Kennel Club (AKC), where she works directly with dog breeds and clubs as they seek to become recognized by the AKC. Mari-Beth has been involved with purebred dogs her entire life as a breeder, exhibitor, and judge. She currently breeds English Cocker Spaniels and belongs to three national breed clubs, providing her with a great deal of different experiences with national clubs over the years.

Jeannette Beranger is the Senior Program Manager for The Livestock Conservancy and has 30+ years’ experience working as an animal professional in zoological and non-profit institutions. She uses her knowledge to plan and implement breed conservation programs for the Conservancy. She is an active lecturer, writer, and photographer. She is co-author on the best-selling books An Introduction to Heritage Breeds and Managing Breeds for a Secure Future. Recently she was named one of Country Women Magazine's "45 Amazing Country Women" for her work in conserving endangered breeds, and as one of the Grow Network’s “Top 14 Women Leading the Natural Food Movement.” At home she practices what she preaches and maintains a heritage breeds farm with a focus on critically endangered breeds.

The Livestock Conservancy is America's leading non-profit dedicated to saving rare breed livestock and poultry from extinction.


Course Curriculum



Frequently Asked Questions


When does the course start and finish?
The course starts now and never ends! It is a completely self-paced online course - you decide when you start and when you finish.
How long do I have access to the course?
How does lifetime access sound? After enrolling, you have unlimited access to this course for as long as you like - across any and all devices you own.
What if I am unhappy with the course?
We would never want you to be unhappy! If you are unsatisfied with your purchase, contact us in the first 30 days and we will give you a full refund.
What is the Cultivating Leadership Initiative?
The Livestock Conservancy launched the Cultivating Leadership Initiative to help breed associations, clubs, and registries establish and achieve high standards of operation for longevity and continued success. Thriving organizations save more livestock and poultry. Components of the Cultivating Leadership Initiative include a Breed Organization Accreditation Program, Breed Organization Training, and Pedigree Registration Services. These programs are available to breed cubs, associations, and registries as optional services. Organizations may adopt whichever building blocks are most needed to address their own situation.

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