Wurz grew up in Fort Collins, Colorado. “I always have a hard time articulating what made me choose a career in the cattle business,” states Wurz. “I often joke that it boils down to ‘I like cows.’” He decided to further lean into his interest earning a bachelor’s degree in Animal Science with a minor in Agricultural Economics at Colorado State University in 2014. However, it wasn’t until he began cowboying post-graduation on a range cow operation in Southeast Wyoming that he truly realized his desire to follow a career path in ranch management. “The ranch was very well-run and the manager has continued to be a mentor to me throughout my career,” reflects Wurz. From that experience he progressed on to a herdsman position on a registered Angus operation near Livermore, Colorado, a foreman for Lasater Beefmasters in Matheson, Colorado and finally a herdsman/permit rider and later cowboss on a high-altitude cow-calf and backgrounding operation in Monte Vista, Colorado where he worked from 2018 until arriving in Kingsville in 2024.
Wurz first came across KRIRM while attending a National Cattlemen’s Beef Association convention during undergrad, but it wasn’t until years later that he began to seriously consider it for himself. “After watching some mentors get passed over for upper-level jobs as they aged, I decided the Institute would be a good long-term investment for my career,” he states. Over the past two years he has enhanced his financial skills while also making the most of his experience learning from those around him and gaining an extended professional network. He has used the many projects that the Institute supplies as opportunities to enhance his love of strategy and innovation. After graduation in May 2026, he would like to land on an operation that wants to prioritize profit, without sacrificing tradition.
Long-term his goal is to manage an operation that allows him the ability to integrate his passion for breeding and genetics with his love of strategy, while still being able to spend some time outside. “As I’ve progressed in my career, I’ve realized just how goal-oriented I can be, especially when it comes to analyzing the financial side of the business. However, I don’t want to forsake the fact that it was my love of the outdoors that got me to pursue this business in the first place. For some reason, I always seem to be drawn to the mountains and the desert,” he states.
Wurz lives near Kingsville, TX with his fiancé Rebecca, a sixth-grade teacher.
Wurz holds the Four Sixes Ranch Endowed Fellowship as a graduate student at KRIRM.