Matt Etheredge


Matt was raised in the Texas Panhandle where he attended Texas Tech University and graduated in 1998 with a B.S. in Agriculture Communications. Following graduation, Matt worked for a cattle order-buying business, then for a feedyard in the Texas Panhandle sorting cattle to fit a premium-based meat grid. Matt moved to the King Ranch in April of 2003 where he served as a Unit Manager on the Norias Division. Matt then accepted the opportunity and decided to join the King Ranch Institute for Ranch Management because of his interest in learning about the systems approach to managing and solving problems.
After graduating from the King Ranch Institute at Texas A&M University-Kingsville, he hired on with Spade Ranches, headquartered in Lubbock, Texas, as the assistant manager and remained there for a little over a year. He recently took a position working for Edwards Ranches and T Bar Ranch.
Matt’s passion is seeing animals such as cattle, horses, and wildlife growing and thriving in a range environment; knowing he can be a part of that success is a rewarding part of his life. One of his favorite saying is “always remain open-minded and willing to learn, because a closed mind is a closed door by which progress cannot enter.”

Dave Genho
Deseret Ranch, FMC
13754 Deseret Lane
St. Cloud, FLA 34773-9381
(407) 892-3672

Dave joined the KRIRM in the summer of 2004 from Iowa where he worked for Smithfield Foods. He joined Smithfield Foods after obtaining a B.S. in Animal Science and a minor in Business at Brigham Young University. David grew up on Deseret Cattle and Citrus where he cowboyed on the ranch during summers and other school breaks. David credits his ranching background and childhood experiences for giving him a passion for cattle ranching and production agriculture. Since that time, David has gained additional experience in the industry through several impressive jobs. He spent 2 years in Colorado working on a feedlot, where he supervised the processing crew, feeding program, and feed mill. After enrolling in school at BYU, he ran a 2000-head feedlot in Utah. David’s 2005 summer internship was on the King Ranch where he conducted an analysis of the heifer-development program, helped to develop a model on trophy vs. quality deer management, and served as a Unit Manager. David graduated in August 2006, and accepted a position as Area Manager with the Deseret Ranch in Florida.

Craig Payne, DVM
University of Missouri
A331 Clydesdale Hall
Columbia, MO 65211-5110

Craig came to the KRIRM from Sedalia, Missouri where he was a practicing veterinarian and a partner at the Sedalia Veterinary Center for 10 years. He obtained a B.S. in Biology from Southwest Baptist University in 1988 and a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from the University of Missouri in 1993. Craig then entered private practice and began to immediately focus on production medicine for beef cattle operations, which he continued to do until his acceptance into KRIRM program. During his career he also served as a Technical Services Veterinarian for a major animal health company. In this position he functioned as an information source for cow/calf and stocker operations, feedlots, and other veterinarians across the United States. He was also a featured speaker at numerous cattleman meetings and state/university sponsored programs. While in the program, Craig developed a detailed plan for the implementation of an electronic identification system on the King Ranch, worked with King Ranch range and wildlife personnel during the summer of 2006, and for his final case study, conducted a financial analysis of dual, fall, and spring calving seasons using King Ranch financial and production data. Craig graduated in August of 2007 and accepted a position as the state Beef Veterinary Extension Specialist for the University of Missouri and is also a Clinical Assistant Professor at the College of Veterinary Medicine.

Clint Richardson
Deseret Ranches of Florida
5880 Deer Park Rd.
St. Cloud, FL 34773

Clint Richardson joins the KRIRM from Florida where he was working for Deseret Cattle and Citrus. He went to Florida after obtaining a B.S. degree in Animal Science from the University of Kentucky in 1998. While in Florida, he worked for two years as foreman in heifer development and for the past three years as seed stock foreman at the ranch. His responsibilities included detailed record keeping of four seedstock herds, genetic selection and improvement of the cowherds, plus their daily care and husbandry. He was also responsible for the development of replacement heifers and bulls. Clint grew up ranching with his family in eastern Colorado and central Kentucky, and also worked with Thoroughbred horses at Killian Farms. During his early exposure to ranching, Clint developed a profound love for cattle and the ranching industry. This helped Clint to commit to the future of ranching, which coincides with the mission of the KRIRM. Clint spent the Fall 2005 semester evaluating how a ranch manager can successfully incorporate fire into a ranch management plan. While this might look easy on paper, Clint learned about the complexities of prescribed fire planning and logistics such as timing, moisture, wind, fuel load, fire control, and pasture management. In addition, he evaluated costs and cost benefits, and found that prescribed burning is as much an art as it is a science. He graduated in August 2007. Clint went back to work with Deseret Cattle and Citrus in Florida as an area foreman.

Sean Kelly
Glendive, Montana

Sean Kelly comes to the King Ranch Institute from Winner, South Dakota.  He graduated from Western Dakota Vo-Tech in 1997 with an Associates Degree in Ag-Business.  Sean worked on the Tom and Shelia Trask Ranch in Wasta, South Dakota following graduation, and then as a pen-rider for the Ten West Feedlot in Elgin, Nebraska.  He returned to his hometown of Winner to work for Dave and Pat Pravecek Farms for 3 years, in addition to running his own cow/calf and back-grounding operation.  Sean returned to school in 2002 and graduated from South Dakota State University in 2005 with a Bachelors degree in Range Science.  He worked as a Rangeland Management Specialist with USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service in Sharon Springs, Coldwater, Manhattan, and South Hutchinson, Kansas.  Sean joined the KRIRM to expand his knowledge about the systems approach to learning and problem solving as it relates to the ranching industry, as well as on public lands and within federal agencies. Sean graduated from the KRIRM program on August 9, 2008 with his Master of Science in Ranch Management.   Sean accepted a position as a multi-county Soil and Range Conservationist with the Natural Resources Conservation Service in Glendive, Montana.  In addition to returning to the NRCS, Sean will be backgrounding feeder cattle in Winner, South Dakota.

Les Nunn
Padlock Ranch
Ranchester, Wyoming

Les Nunn spent three years in the Hells Canyon area of Eastern Oregon. He was employed by Idaho Power Company as a Park Supervisor, overseeing four developed parks, various dispersed recreation areas and ten employees. Shortly prior to his employment with Idaho Power, Les received his B.S. degree in Resource Recreation and Tourism from the University of Idaho. He minored in Outdoor Recreation Leadership. Before attending the University of Idaho, Les went to Rick’s College where he received an associate’s degree in Recreation Education. This degree course was decided upon because of his enthusiasm for ranching and the outdoors. The intent was that his ranching experience combined with the recreation and tourism degree would be an excellent combination for the rapidly growing ranch tourism industry.  Between going to Rick’s College and the U of I, Les met his wife Hollis. They now have four children, Declan, Taycee, McKensie, Hattie. Les and Hollis were both raised in a ranching environment and share an interest in this lifestyle. Les was raised in a small ranching and logging community in central British Columbia, Canada. Ranching has played a major part in his family’s life for many generations. It has also played a major part in his life as he was riding the dusty cow trails with his dad, breaking colts, penning cattle at the local sale barn and working for different ranches throughout the years. Les graduated from the KRIRM program on August 9, 2008 with his Master of Science in Ranch Management.  After graduation, Les was offered a position at the prestigious Padlock Ranch.  He accepted the position as Assistant Operations Manager.  His responsibilities on Padlock Ranch consist of assisting Trey Patterson in managing S. End and feedlot cattle operations, managing the feedmill personnel, and assist with data collections at pregnancy testing and implementation of cow culling decisions.  He will also serve as a lead person in developing a comprehensive ranch recreation plan for the coming years. 

David Rios


David Rios was born and raised in the Rio Grande Valley of deep South Texas. Family hunting excursions sparked early interests in wildlife management and sound land stewardship.  While studying for a Bachelor of Science in Range and Wildlife Management at Texas A&M University-Kingsville, David spent his summers as an intern with the Wildlife Division of Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and was employed as a Research Technician for Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute’s South Texas Quail Project.  After graduating, during the fall of 2000, David began his career as Ranch Biologist and Hunting Lease Manager for the historic El Sauz Ranch.
The highly diversified agricultural operation at El Sauz included dry-land farming, aquaculture and gas leases in addition to hunting lease and ranching enterprises. David worked closely with the ranch’s ownership, legal staff and General Manager on issues that extended far beyond his training as a Biologist.  This introduction to the multi-faceted nature of modern ranch management catalyzed his interests in general ranch management and led him to study with King Ranch Institute for Ranch Management.
David graduated from King Ranch Institute for Ranch Management in August of 2008.  He seeks a leadership position where he may work with people, land, and animals while promoting our hunting heritage.  David serves as a Texas Concealed Handgun Instructor and passionately volunteers as a Texas Hunter Education Instructor, Texas Big Game Awards Scorer, and an Official Measurer for Boone & Crockett Club.