ACA Honors Sam Cecil with Lifetime Service Award

Arkansas Cattlemen’s Association Presents 2026 Aubrey Blackmon Lifetime Service Award to Sam Cecil

FORT SMITH, Ark. — The Arkansas Cattlemen’s Association (ACA) honored longtime cattle industry leader Sam Cecil with the 2026 Aubrey Blackmon Lifetime Service Award during the association’s Annual Convention & Trade Show in Fort Smith.

The Aubrey Blackmon Lifetime Service Award recognizes individuals who have devoted a lifetime to serving the Arkansas Cattlemen’s Association and Arkansas cattle producers. The award was renamed in 2023 in honor of former ACA President Aubrey Blackmon and his decades of leadership and advocacy on behalf of the state’s cattle industry.

Cecil’s service to the ACA spans decades and nearly every level of the organization. For more than 15 years, he served on the ACA Executive Committee as Area 2 Vice President, representing cattle producers throughout his area and making it a priority to attend county cattlemen’s meetings. Although he retired from the Executive Committee in 2025, Cecil remains an active presence within the association.

“Sam is the definition of a servant leader,” said ACA President Don Hubbell. “He has never served for recognition. He simply shows up, listens to producers and does whatever needs to be done. His decades of service have made the Arkansas Cattlemen’s Association a stronger organization.”

Cecil continues to play an important role in shaping the association’s grassroots policy as chair of the ACA Legislative and Policy Committee. In that role, he helps guide policy discussions and ensures the positions advocated by ACA begin with and reflect the priorities of cattle producers across Arkansas.

His service extends well beyond the ACA. Cecil was appointed by the Governor to the Arkansas Beef Council, where he served for more than 12 years, and has represented Arkansas cattle producers for many years through the U.S. Meat Export Federation, helping support efforts to expand opportunities for U.S. beef in international markets.

At home, Cecil has held nearly every officer position within the Pope County Cattlemen’s Association and has remained active in Farm Bureau leadership at both the county and state levels. He has also served his community through the local county fair board.

While his résumé reflects decades of leadership, Cecil is equally known within ACA for his willingness to work behind the scenes. From helping guide major policy discussions to cooking potatoes and green beans at Area 2 Conferences, Cecil has consistently demonstrated that no job is too large or too small when it comes to serving Arkansas cattle producers.

“Sam’s legacy is one of humility, consistency and an unwavering commitment to cattle producers,” said Executive Vice President Michelle Bufkin Horton. “The Aubrey Blackmon Lifetime Service Award represents exactly the kind of leadership Sam has demonstrated throughout his career, and we are proud to recognize him with this honor.”

The Arkansas Cattlemen’s Association represents cattle producers across the state through legislative advocacy, education, industry development and promotion of Arkansas’s cattle industry.