Barton & Esslinger Dedicate Over a Decade to the Nebraska Beef Council

Linda grew up raising cattle and row crops outside of Lexington, first attending a country school and then Lexington High School. She received her degree in Animal Science at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL). Her afterward path included diverse roles, from working at Dawson Public Power and Farm Credit Services to being a stay-at-home mom for her two boys, which she cherishes deeply. 

“I wouldn't have traded that for the world,” Linda reflects on her time at home. 

Pam's story begins on a farm near Loomis, surrounded by cattle, pigs, chickens, corn and alfalfa. Pam attended Loomis High School and later studied business at UNL. Pam also pursued teaching credentials at Hastings Community College and spent 13 years teaching preschool in Bertrand and Holdrege. She is very proud of her two children and her 11 grandchildren. 

Both Linda and Pam have dedicated over a decade to the Nebraska Beef Council. Linda, who has been with the Beef Council for 13 years, began her journey after seeing a marketing job advertisement. 

“I feel so fortunate,” said Linda. “I started in 2011, just a week apart from Pam.” 

Pam, on the other hand, saw the job opening in the newspaper and thought it sounded like an interesting change of pace. She started in the same year and has been a vital part of the team ever since. 

Linda's role involves data entry, balancing, compliance, authorization requests, and preparing board meeting reports. She added that she’s the person who helps with whatever is needing done. 

Pam handles daily deposits of the beef checkoff, answers the phone, sets up and records minutes of board meetings and assists others. Both women also share a deep love for the cattle industry. 

"We've had really good board members, and I enjoy the people I work with," said Pam, who plans to retire at the end of the year. 

Outside of work, Linda enjoys hunting, fishing, and caring for her herd of cattle. Pam volunteers at a preschool, fishes, refurbishes furniture, plays pickleball, and loves spending time with her grandchildren.