California Cotton Ginners Honor Patterson and Curlee, Name New Officers
June 17, 2015 The California Cotton Ginners Association honored Russell Patterson and Jesse Curlee during a recent meeting of the organization.
Patterson was honored as 2015 Ginner of the Year. The annual award is given to honor and recognize an individual who has provided dedication, knowledge and special service to the association and the ginning industry.
Patterson has spent 36 years in banking and finance, first with Bank of America and more recently with Tech Ag Financial Group. In addition to his financial work, he was asked in 2007 to manage Buttonwillow Gin, a position he has now held for seven years.
Curlee was awarded the organization’s 2015 Distinguished Service Award, which honors and recognizes an individual outside of the Ginners Association who has made significant contributions to the Association and the cotton ginning industry.
Curlee is president of Supima, a position he has held since 1981. Under his leadership, Supima began a licensing program for customers wanting to use the Supima name. Today, that program includes more than 300 licensees worldwide and has given global recognition to the Supima name as the finest cotton fiber in the world.
The Ginners Association also named new officers and directors for the coming year. Serving two-year terms as officers are:
Chairman of the Board – Tom Pires, West Island Cotton Growers, Inc.
First Vice Chairman – Mike Davis, Dos Palos Cooperative Gin, Inc.
Second Vice Chairman – Tom Gaffney, J.G. Boswell Company
Secretary/Treasurer – Matt Toste, Huron Ginning Company.
Named to the organization’s Board of Directors were:
- John Colbert, Modern Ginning Company
- Stan Creelman, Mid Valley Cotton Growers, Inc.
- Michael Hooper, Farmers Cooperative Gin, Inc.
- Don Van Schuyver, Semi Tropic Cooperative Gin, Inc.
- Wayne Gilbert, Broadview Cooperative Gin, Inc.
- Kirk Gilkey, Cross Creek Ginning Company
- Ron Nimmo, Pacific Ginning Company, Inc.
- Louie Colombini, Westside Farmers Co-op Gin
- Greg Lillard, Olam Cotton.
The California Cotton Ginners and Growers Association are voluntary dues-based organizations representing cotton growers and cotton gins throughout California on regulatory and legislative issues.
Source – California Cotton Ginners and Growers Associations
GET THE NEWSLETTER TODAY!
