(NAFB.com) – Two years ago the Masters of Beef Advocacy program managed by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, a contractor to the Beef Checkoff, hit 20,000 graduates. Now, the program celebrates an additional 5,000 graduates – reaching a new milestone for advocacy in the beef industry. Created in 2009, the MBA program is a free, self-guided online course that provides members of the beef community – from farmers and ranchers to students, supply chain members and consumers – with the tools and resources needed to become a strong advocate for the beef community. In 2021, the MBA program launched MBA NextGen – which updated training modules, splitting the course into five online lessons. After completing NextGen, MBA graduates can enroll in MBA Continuing Education where graduates can continue their education with more lessons Graduates can also access monthly newsletters and join the program’s Facebook community where updates are given on the latest consumer trends.