By Bill Spiegel, Byline Editor
Within a few minutes of meeting Miranda Reiman, one thing becomes clear: she is a born communicator.
Sources, friends and associates marvel at her ability to focus completely on the person she is talking to, eagerly learning more about that person. It’s a gift that has enabled Reimann to earn scores of ACN writing awards throughout her 22-year career, first as a communications specialist at Certified Angus Beef and, as of three years ago, director of digital content strategy at Angus, Inc.
Miranda knew from an early age she wanted to work in agricultural media. Her older sister attended South Dakota State University, and urged Miranda to do the same and told her about a major called agricultural journalism.
It was a good fit for Miranda, who grew up on a diversified farm three hours away in East Chain, Minnesota. She soon learned that though SDSU’s program was small, it had a reputation for producing outstanding communicators, including Greg Lamp, Karen McMahon, Gil Gullickson, Joe Roybal and Kevin Schultz.
“My ultimate career goal was that I wanted to work for Successful Farming. I wanted to cover all the things in agriculture. Gene Johnston was my guy. I wanted to be him,” she explains.
But her senior year, she had a chance meeting with Larry Corah, the then-vice president of Certified Angus Beef. He encouraged her to apply for a communications job there, and she got the job, working with veteran writer Steve Suther.
It was a great gig, she says. Suther was a consummate professional, who treated the CAB communications position not as a public relations position, but as a newsroom.
“We thought if our readers knew the story about how producers could make more money, and all the benefits of CAB, they would make that choice on their own,” she says.
She spent 15 years at CAB, which included a move from CAB’s satellite office in Manhattan, Kansas, to Gothenburg, Nebraska, where her husband took an agronomy job with Monsanto.
“It was also really nice that I was able to keep my job and honestly live here in cattle country. My friends and neighbors are the people I’m writing for, and that’s pretty fun,” Reiman says.
Miranda and Mark have six children, all whom are still at home.
“My goal as a mom is for these kids to grow up and look back and say, ‘Wow, that was really cool. We were part of something really special.’ So we’ll see if it works out that way. You don’t really know till you get to the end.”
In 2021, Miranda joined at sister subsidiary at the American Angus Association, Angus Media, continuing to do what she does best: visit with beef producers and telling their stories in print, video and audio formats.
Careers change, but the Ag Communicator’s Network has been a constant for its networking and friendship opportunities.
Case in point: her sophomore year in college, Miranda applied for the ACN internship. “You had to be a junior, but I applied anyway. Gene Johnston, who was in charge of the committee, called me to tell me I didn’t get it, but to please apply again,” she recalls.
“I don’t know if he did that to 20 people, I have no idea, but him calling felt really big. I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, he called me.’ It made a big impact on me, to the point that today I try to call our top intern candidates if they don’t get it.”
She continues to be impressed at the people she meets in ACN, and the Ag Media Summit.
“Just getting to meet all of the members, because you have so many shared experiences, and can take tips and tricks and take a little bit from each person that you meet,” she explains. “Of course, Ag Media Summit being the biggest source of that.”