Kaci Carrales, Executive Director

Originally from Tilden, Texas, Kaci grew up helping her family run a successful hunting business. Her passion for agriculture and the beef industry comes from her grandparents and their small herd of cattle. Kaci, valedictorian of her class, was very active in FFA and loved showing livestock. She attended Blinn College and was a member of the livestock judging team. She then earned her bachelor’s degree in animal science from Texas A&M University and was a member of the 2006 National Champion Livestock Judging Team. 

During her early career at HeartBrand Cattle, Kaci immersed herself in all things Akaushi, learning about genetics, breeding traits, performance in different environments, and most importantly, how they excel in carcass quality while maintaining functional production traits. Now in her role as executive director of the American Akaushi Association, Kaci brings her breed knowledge and extensive experience with DNA collection and registration of cattle in the DigitalBeef program used by the association. 

Looking ahead, Kaci is excited for the opportunity to continue moving this great breed to its highest potential.

“It will take all of us working together to make this happen,” she says. Under Kaci’s leadership, the association staff pledges to be receptive to member issues and opportunities – continually looking for ways to serve members better. “The American Akaushi Association is only as strong and progressive as our members,” she says, “so we’re building an environment for collaboration and big ideas.

She invites all members to help grow the American Akaushi Association’s success by attending trade shows, hosting field days or simply sharing close-outs and carcass data with neighbors and other cattle producers. Because together we are Akaushi.

Kaci’s husband, JoJo, is the vice president of cattle at HeartBrand Cattle and is the mother of two children: Adalyn and Joseph.