KRIRM Welcomes James Clement, III, of King Ranch, Inc., to Management Council
James provides vision and leadership to three different generational family businesses that combine 17 generations of stewardship, over 250 shareholders, and more than 360 years of continuous family ownership. He has led recruitment, operations, transition, communication, and succession planning in these and other family organizations. James combines his broad-based experience with a passion for agribusiness stewardship and land sustainability, in addition to creating revenue.
Both sides of James’ family are in generational family business: his mother’s with Beggs Cattle Co. (est. 1876), and his father’s with King Ranch (est. 1853). He has leveraged his military and western history passion for learning from peers and mentors to study administration, strategic planning, operations, and branding on each of the family enterprises. In his current role as Land Resources Manager for King Ranch, Inc., James regulates the surface and sub-surface, title, and environmental issues for this historic ranching operation. He also advises King Ranch’s renowned Horse Division and is actively involved in the company’s branding and media and marketing efforts. Under James’ previous role as Horse Division Manager, King Ranch won the 2019 AQHA Best Remuda Award, the most prestigious recognition awarded to a ranch horse program, and raised the ranch’s first-ever King Ranch bred and owned World Champion, CORONEL DEL RANCHO.
In addition, James founded Bloody Buckets Cattle Company and Juntos Pastoral Company, two limited liability corporations that combined manage over 200 head of livestock and the resources, infrastructure, and wildlife on over 4,500 private acres in South Texas. James was also recognized as a “2020 Next Gen to Watch” from Family Business Magazine.
Through his service in the United States Marine Corps, James is a combat-proven leader, mentor, and decision-maker under stress and has served since 2008, active and reserve, enlisted and officer. He is currently an Infantry Officer and Major in the reserves and the Company Commander of 187 Marines of C Co, 1/23, “The Lone Star Battalion.” His service includes deployments to Afghanistan, Chile, and Mexico and five months spent transitioning over 3,000 Afghan Refugees to U.S. citizens in Operation Allies Welcome. He has graduated from Expeditionary Warfare School, US Army Airborne, and other advanced tactical and strategic schools. He has led or trained over 3,500 American and foreign troops over his military career.
James currently serves as a managing director of Beggs Ranches, director for Corps Industries, a director of 2020 Consulting, director and Vice Chairman of the Natural Resources and Wildlife Committee of the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association, a director and Chairman of the Public Policy Committee of the American Quarter Horse Association, a founding director and on the executive committee of the Houston Chapter of the Private Director’s Association, and a director of the National Ranching Heritage Center, Epiphany Montessori School, and Equine Initiative at Texas A&M.
James earned his Bachelor of Arts in Communications and Media Studies from Goucher College in Baltimore, MD, where he played four years of lacrosse and served two years as team captain for the Gophers. He also received an MBA from Cornell University where he graduated Cum Laude. James is married to the former Miss Paige Shaw, MSN RN, from Kingsville, TX, and they have one son, James “Jimmy” Clement IV. Paige, Jimmy, and James live on a ranch in South Texas where they raise their own cattle and horses.