The U.S. Department of Agriculture today announced the appointment of 18 members and 18 alternate members to serve on the Cotton Board. Members are appointed by the Secretary of Agriculture and will serve three-year terms ending Dec. 31, 2022.
Newly appointed members are:
• Gokul Krishnan, Bentonville, Ark.
• John Stokes, Groveland, Mass.
Newly appointed alternate members are:
• Nick McMichen, Centre, Ala.
• Jessica Pagano, Fort Myers, Fla.
• Dominique D. Brown, Rosemount, Minn.
• Roian Atwood, Greensboro, N.C.
• Michelle Tarry, Maplewood, N.J.
• Eun Hwang, Beaverton, Ore.
• Frank B. Rogers III, Bennettsville, S.C.
• Alex Armour, Somerville, Tenn.
• James W. Jones, Jr., Windsor, Va.
Re-appointed members are:
• Walt Corcoran, Eufaula, Ala.
• Peter M. McGrath, Snowmass Village, Colo.
• David J. DeFelix, Campbellton, Fla.
• James L. Webb, Leary, Ga.
• Suzanne R. Drouhard, Danville, Kan.
• Joe Don Long, Richmond, Ky.
• Kim Mayberry-Holifield, Kennett, Mo.
• Arlene M. Eastwood, Neptune, N.J.
• Laurie A. Rando, Scotch Plains, N.J.
• Alisa Ogden, Carlsbad, N.M.
• J. Mark Nichols, Altus, Okla.
• Rusty Darby, Chester, S.C.
• Catherine S. Via, Bells, Tenn.
• Matt Farmer, Lamesa, Texas
• Shelley S. Butler Barlow, Suffolk, Va.
• Emily Gigot, Seattle, Wash.
Re-appointed alternate members are:
• Alan J. Edwards, Jay, Fla.
• Benjamin R. Grimsley, Weston, Ga.
• Thomas L. Lahey, Moscow, Kan.
• Albert Riley James, New Madrid, Mo.
• Nathan Jurva, Carlsbad, N.M.
• Tara Hoffmann, New York, N.Y.
• Clint Abernathy, Altus, Okla.
• James C. Self III, Greenville, S.C.
• R.N. Hopper Jr., Petersburg, Texas
In addition, Barbara Buhr, West Hartford, Conn., has been appointed to serve as importer alternate member, #10 position, through Dec. 31, 2020, and Melissa Bryant, Irvine, Calif., has been appointed to serve as importer alternate member, position #11, with a term that expires Dec. 31, 2021.
The Cotton Research and Promotion Act of 1966 (Act) authorized a national cotton research and promotion program that is both industry-operated and funded. Since 1966, Congress has authorized industry-funded research and promotion boards to provide a framework for agricultural industries to pool resources and combine efforts to develop new markets, strengthen existing markets and conduct important research and promotion activities. The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) provides oversight to 21 boards. The oversight ensures fiscal accountability and program integrity and is paid for by industry assessments.
More information about the board is available on the AMS Cotton Board web page and on the board’s website, cottonboard.org.
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