NCC Announces New Emerging Leaders Class
April 21, 2016 Twelve U.S. cotton industry members have been selected for the National Cotton Council (NCC) Emerging Leaders Program class for 2016-17.
Established in 2013, the program is supported by a grant to The Cotton Foundation from Monsanto.
Members of the 2016-17 class are Brian Ademek, producer from El Campo, TX; Kent Ballard, warehouser from Lubbock, TX; Andrew Clark, producer from Clovis, CA; Jerrod Drinnon of Lubbock, TX, representing the cottonseed segment; Scott Flowers, producer from Clarksdale, MS; Nick McMichen, producer from Centre, AL; Steven Meeks, producer from Screven, GA; Wes Morgan, ginner from New London, NC; David Mullins of Rotan, TX, representing marketing cooperatives; Russ Ratcliff, producer from St. Joseph, LA; Jerry Rovey, producer from Buckeye, AZ; and Rich Vinson, producer from Sikeston, MO.
NCC Chairman Shane Stephens, a Greenwood, MS, warehouseman, said U.S. cotton’s central organization needs leaders who are willing to embrace the responsibilities that come with working to ensure a healthy future for the U.S. cotton industry.
“One of those duties is being able to help facilitate unity among our seven industry segments,” Stephens said. “That unity is vital, for example, in shaping sound cotton policy and then communicating that policy to Congress, government agencies, the media and others.”
The Emerging Leaders Program was developed to give participants 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 domestically and abroad.
More specifically, the program provides an in-depth look at the U.S. cotton industry infrastructure and the issues affecting U.S. cotton’s economic well-being; the U.S. political process; NCC’s programs and 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.
Class members will participate in three sessions. The first session – set for mid-June in Memphis and St. Louis – will provide an orientation to the NCC, professional development/communication skills training and an agribusiness briefing. During the second session in February, class members will see policy development at the 2017 NCC Annual Meeting in Dallas. A third session in Washington, DC, will focus on policy implementation and international market development.
Source – National Cotton Council
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