Round-up readies for 2024
By Terry Murry on Tuesday, December 5th, 2023 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
PENDLETON – The Pendleton Round-Up Board of Directors is heading to Las Vegas for the National Finals Rodeo that starts this week. A new president and three new directors are part of the party.
President Tiah DeGrofft has volunteered for the Round-Up and Happy Canyon since she was 6. She was a princess in 1999 and queen in 2001. During her eight years on the board of directors, DeGrofft has served as sponsors director. In that position, DeGrofft has nearly tripled sponsorship contributions.
The new directors are Curtis Been, Corey Neistadt, and Kristin Schmidtgall.
Been grew up in Pendleton and was a steer wrestler in high school and a PRCA competitor after that. A civil engineer with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Walla Walla, Been also teaches at rodeo camps and is active in youth rodeo events in Pendleton and Hermiston. He will serve as concessions director.
Neistadt served as a Happy Canyon director, serving for two years as the board president. A partner at Neistadt Accounting Services LLC, Neistadt was instrumental in the formation of the Let ’er Buck Caires Committee, aiding nonprofits that lost vital funding during the pandemic. He has been named sponsors director.
Schmidtgall is from Philadelphia, but has made Pendleton her home since moving here in 2009. She was a student at Oregon Health and Science University when she was assigned to a clinical rotation in the Round-Up City. She is a physician assistant at Eastern Oregon Orthopedic Surgery and Fracture Clinic. Schmidtgall is Room 17 and medical director.
Officers for the 2024 Round-Up Board of Directors are Vice President Tim Smith, Secretary Stuart Roberts, and Treasurer Kevin Jordan. Smith is Let ’er Buck Room director. Roberts is in charge of security, and Jordan is the director for the office, tickets, and retail sales.
DeGrofft has made assignments for other board members as well. They are: Jason Graybeal, queen and court; Justin Terry, livestock; Pat Reay, publicity; Dr. Harper Jones, programs and ushers; Jason Hill, Indians; Tim O’Hanlon, parades; Casey Currin, grounds; Nick Michael, hay and barns; Tanner Hawkins, arena; and Tyler Bowman, competitive events.
