NCC Announces 2025-2026 Emerging Leaders Program Class
May 20, 2025 Eight U.S. cotton industry members have been chosen to participate in the National Cotton Council’s (NCC) Emerging Leaders Program for 2025-26.
Participating are:
- PRODUCERS – Branden Ahrens, Corpus Christi, TX; Bryce Howard, Dalhart, TX; Kirk Teixeira, Fresno, CA
- GINNER – Craig Rohrbach, Farwell, TX
- MERCHANT – Ashley Paddock, Olney, IL
- WAREHOUSER – Matt Hennig, Amarillo, TX
- COTTONSEED – Luke Flair, Elkhorn, NE
- MARKETING COOPERATIVE – Kaimi Whitaker, Lubbock, Texas.
Now in its tenth year, the NCC’s Emerging Leaders Program is supported by a grant to The Cotton Foundation from Bayer.
The Emerging Leaders Program provides participants with a better understanding of how the NCC carries out its mission of ensuring the U.S. cotton industry’s seven segments can compete effectively and profitably in the raw cotton, oilseed, and U.S.-manufactured product markets at home and abroad.
Participants get an in-depth look at the U.S. cotton industry infrastructure and the issues affecting the industry’s economic well-being; the U.S. political process; the NCC’s programs and its policy development and implementation process; and Cotton Council International’s activities aimed at developing and maintaining export markets for U.S. cotton, manufactured cotton products, and cottonseed products.
Program participants also receive professional development and communications training such as presentation and business etiquette, instruction for engaging with the news media, and utilizing social media tools and tactics.
Class members participate in three sessions.
The first session, set for early June in Memphis and St. Louis, will provide an orientation to the NCC, professional development and communication skills training, and an agribusiness briefing. During the second session, class members will see policy development at the NCC’s 2026 Annual Meeting in February. The third session, to be conducted later in 2026 in Washington, DC, will focus on policy implementation.
Information from the National Cotton Council
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