Board of Directors
Dennis Butterworth
President
Born and raised in Crosby Texas. Veteran of the United States Army and graduate of Sam Houston State University. I got into competition BBQ after college and have been cooking competitively since 2009. My team, WarPig BBQ is comprised of lifelong friends that really enjoy getting together to cook and hang out for the weekend. We’ve cooked all across the country in multiple sanctioning bodies. I love to travel and see how events are run in different parts of the country compared to how we do it in the great state of Texas. My favorite BBQ comp meat is always ribs. This is probably because that’s what I love to eat the most at a comp! I’ve been blessed to turn my love for BBQ into a business with WarPig BBQ Elite BBQ Products. There is no greater feeling than seeing your customers beat you at the awards! I love this sport and will do all I can to help it grow while maintaining integrity, honesty and fairness.
president@ibcabbq.org
979-220-2717
Mike Gomez
I was born and raised in Texas, surrounded by family members who were in the food industry. As the fourth generation of cooks in the Gomez and Guzman families, playing with fire and meat comes instinctively to me. Jenni and I live in the Austin area and compete in cook offs year round – my appreciation and dedication to IBCA can be attributed to my experience competing across sanctioning bodies. IBCA is dedicated to their cooks and the community – and I find our scoring techniques and quick turnaround of detailed results to be top notch.
vicepresident@ibcabbq.org
512-466-6952
Robin Myers
Treasurer
I have been a BBQ Cook since 2009 and a Head Judge since 2010. I love the sport of BBQ cooking and all the wonderful people I have met doing it. BBQ is a big family that supports each other when the times get rough. I wanted to do what I could do to help IBCA continue to grow and be the premier BBQ Organization in Texas.
713-906-6284
Ira Green
Director-at-Large
The art of Smoking proteins have always been a staple in my family. My grandfather use to Que for the large Ranches in South Texas, my mother ran a small BBQ joint while my years back in college. I always been around the industry but never got intrested until I found out about the competition side.
One Friday ( a few years ago) lol I was out in my yard doing yard work and seen a pick up truck go by with a barrel pit and a weed eater sticking up. I watched this truck pass by every Friday for a while, as time passed it started having a small bbq pit trailer pulled behind. One day pulling out my drive he passed by I followed into town. He so happend to stop at a gas station so I pull in and long behold it’s Ernest Servantes. I asked a few questions and was explained a few things and then offered to attend the cook off.
The cook off was sanctioned by IBCA a prestige organization that always has been a top tier sanctioning body in Texas. I have been apart and involved in cook offs with the organization when it was great and some down times as well, from Covid shut downs to restructuring of board members drastically and quickly.
I accepted the nomination for a position on the board to help keep and promote Ibca into the future with new ideas while keeping integrity and the narrative of where Ibca has come from to always be a Top Tier Sanctioning Body for the Competitive Barbque community.
directoratlarge@ibcabbq.org
512-787-8323
Melody Vinson
Director-at-Large
As a proud wife, mother, head judge and competitor in the world of BBQ, I bring a full-circle perspective to our community. My experience has allowed me to support our Regional Directors and promoters in both retaining and growing cook-offs for IBCA. I look forward to helping better and continue to support the BBQ community that I am proud to be a part of. My goal is to help everyone feel welcome and supported in this exciting, flavorful world of competition BBQ.
directoratlarge@ibcabbq.org
806-292-7195
Region 1
Region 2
Kevin Miller
My wife Debbie and I started getting interested in competition cooking in 2010. I was building a cooker for my son-in-law for their team and while visiting BBQ forums before Facebook we met up with some forum members who were cooking an event. From that day forward we were hooked, and I started plans on building our cooker. We started competing in 2012 under my team name Tequila Sunrise BBQ Team.
In 2016 I ran for region 2 director in hopes that I could help make our sport more enjoyable by helping promoters with their events and being a voice for members. At the same time becoming a director Debbie and I were training to become head judges so that we could help further our knowledge of IBCA and what we as an organization are about, in February 2017 we were certified as head judges. This opportunity allows us to visit with fellow cooks when we were not competing. I have served the membership as director for close to four years and have seen many changes to better our sport. I am a lifetime member of IBCA and proud to be a part of this organization. Being very busy with promoters and the BOD I have somewhat taken a back seat to cooking helping my wife with her team Tequila Sunrise Part 2.
I am proud to be serving my third term as region 2 Director. I look forward to once again working with the promoters in building successful events for them as well as the cooks that participate.
region2directors@ibcabbq.org
409-673-3884
Rita Marczewski
Growing up as a young kid I was blessed to be able to compete and show quarter horses. It was a lot of hard work and dedication. I loved every minute of it, that was my life for many, many years and still is today. Competition runs through my veins. I also grew up in a full-blooded Italian and polish family where cooking has also been a tremendous part of my life. Competition and cooking…hmmm. Moving on to 2016, that’s where BBQ all began. A few friends and I entered an IBCA cook off for our local Volunteer Fire Department. As we sat at awards and I actually heard my number called, that was it, I was hooked! As the years past we entered more and more cook offs and met some of the greatest folks out there and the hook was set deep. Unfortunately, my cook partner came to a point where he was no longer able to participate, so I stepped it up and continued on by myself. I have cooked other sanctioning bodies events, but this IBCA BBQ family I have come to know is like no other. As we compete against one another we are all there for each other. This BBQ family is not just us cooks, it is also our head judges and promoters as well as our Board of Directors. The IBCA BBQ family is top notch. I felt strongly that it was my time to step up and assist this great organization continue to move forward. God Bless Texas and Gig Em!
region2directors@ibcabbq.org
936-348-8141
Region 3
Michael Gibson
My name is Michael Gibson and currently reside in Odem, Tx. I have been retired from the Army for 6 years now, after 21 years of service. Upon retiring, I started cooking competition BBQ in the IBCA and have loved every second of it! I have met many people along the way in my journey of BBQing and have had some great cookers guide me along the way! I look forward to helping the members of Region 3 and hope that I can help this great organization grow!
region3directors@ibcabbq.org
361-563-4144
Rick Mirelez
I have always enjoyed bbq then I decided to try the competition side and was hooked. As far as the board goes I’ve always told people if they needed help or had questions to feel free and reach out to me. After I was nominated I reached out to Mike Gibson and I got excited about the nomination. I look forward to helping out in any way needed.
region3directors@ibcabbq.org
361-947-6442
Region 4
Liz Shamlian
For the past ten years my husband Steve and I have been part of the BBQ competition circuit. Just like many competition cookers we started out at a home town cook off and got that first walk and we were hooked. We soon learned about IBCA and realized there are a lot of people just like us; people that love to cook, meet new friends and enjoy friendly competition. We have also enjoyed being part of the IBCA family and how it has grown through the years. Like everything else the organization has had its ups and downs but because of our members and leaders having so much passion and drive, it has continued to thrive.
This was the reason I wanted to be part of the IBCA board. I wanted to represent people that want to be the best they can be and have respect for their fellow members of men and women that love this sport.
region4directors@ibcabbq.org
956-245-2069
Tony Camarillo
I am a passionate advocate for the art and tradition of BBQ. With years of hands-on experience in competition BBQ, I bring a wealth of knowledge and a deep commitment to maintaining the integrity and growth of the BBQ community. As an active participant in numerous cook-offs, I not only excel in the pit but also fosters camaraderie and mentorship among fellow competitors.
I am dedicated to ensuring that the values of fairness, respect, and excellence remain at the forefront of every competition. Through this leadership role, I strive to uphold the IBCA’s mission, supporting the next generation of pit-masters while preserving the rich heritage of BBQ.
region4directors@ibcabbq.org
830-968-3591
Region 5
Lindsey Vinson
Hello my name is Lindsey chace vinson. Im was Born and raised in Lubbock Texas. I am currently live in lockney tx and have a passion for Bbq
I’ve always loved to cook bbq and competed in my first Cookoff last year in Plainview and got hooked I have 5 kids and a beautiful wife melody vinson we love to travel and cook all around the us especially the great state of Texas!!!!! If you ever want to talk bbq just give me a holler
region5directors@ibcabbq.org
806-543-1109
Lance Meeks
Hi yall
My name is Lance Meeks born in Bitburg Germany(Air Force). i was raised in Lamesa Texas, graduated class of 87. Went straight to work learning machine shop and fabrication. i’ve worked in the farm implement manufacturing industry for 35 years. Married my beautiful wife, Cecilia, in 2022.
I’ve always enjoyed cooking for family and friends over a few beers which was always bbq. My wife enjoys cooking as well so we decided to team up! We were told we couldn’t do it and would never place! We said “hold my beer”. We entered our first contest and had a walk and we were hooked! We’ve met so many amazing people that we now call our bbq family. I was honored to be nominated to run for Region 5 director so I thought yes let’s do it and here we are! I look forward to working and promoting this great addiction, we call Texas BBQ!
region5directors@ibcabbq.org
806-201-5396