Quin was born and raised in the horse country of Pilot Point, Texas. He graduated from Texas A&M University in 2013 with a bachelor’s degree in Rangeland Ecology and Management with a minor in Soil and Forage Sciences. Throughout college he had developed a strong passion for learning and understanding the ecology of grassland environments which ultimately led him to pursue a hands-on career in the operation of Ranch Management. Quin has 10 years of experience serving ranches in central Montana, Oklahoma, northcentral Texas, and northeastern New Mexico. The majority of his work has assisted cow-calf production systems, both purebred and commercial, with extensive heifer development programs and intensive grazing systems focused on using cattle to heal the land.
He also served as the bison manager of a large scale, 560,000-acre ranch in northeastern New Mexico. “Taking a pot load of bison up to 9,000 feet through steep switchbacks to then herd through high mountain meadows and streams was an incredible experience I will never forget,” reflects Quin. His passion for ranching comes from a genuine love for the land, livestock, and people that are so closely connected to it.
Quin first heard of KRIRM during his time at Texas A&M University. “What sparked my interest to apply to the program was my desire to grow in excellence as a ranch manager and to become more adept in making decisions for a ranch. As I thought and learned more about the program, I came to realize the education, resources, and training they offer is the avenue to help me to achieve a higher degree of excellence in this industry,” states Quin.
Quin is looking forward to further developing the skills needed to financially evaluate an operation and to better understand the relationships between meaningful financial benchmarks saying, “I am a firm believer that ranching can and must be profitable to continue the legacy and heritage of this incredible industry.” He also hopes to be challenged in his understanding of systems thinking and to connect with other excellent leaders in the industry while improving his own leadership skills. When asked what his long-term goals are within the industry, Quin states, “To be the Ranch Operations Manager for a business that highly values faith, family, and purpose. I envision the Institute challenging my own paradigms and thought processes in how we develop a vision and goals for a ranch, which are foundational to the business of ranching.”
Quin has relocated to Kingsville, Texas with his wife Jessica and three daughters who love riding their horses and playing; Fairres (5), Josie (2) and Ranie (1). Jessica has previously served as an elementary special education teacher as well as a track and cross-country coach and looks forward to homeschooling their three daughters during Paul’s time at the Institute.
Quin holds the East Foundation Fellowship as a graduate student at KRIRM.