Twenty-two Texas cotton industry members were elected to leadership positions in the National Cotton Council (NCC) for 2021, including Robert Lacy, Jr., a cottonseed processor, and Kevin Brinkley, a cooperative official, both from Lubbock, who were reelected as NCC vice presidents; and Barry Evans, a Kress producer, who was re-elected as the NCC’s secretary-treasurer.
The leaders were named at the recent 2021 NCC Annual Meeting.
Elected as a NCC director was Eric Wanjura, a Lubbock warehouseman. Re-elected as NCC directors were: Robert Swize, a Corpus Christi warehouseman; Jerrod Drinnon, a Lubbock cottonseed processor; Doyle Schneirs, a San Angelo producer; Keith Lucas, a Lubbock cooperative official; Raymond Faus, a Plano merchant; and Curtis Stewart, a Spade ginner.
Carlos Garcia, a Lubbock cooperative marketer, was elected first vice president of NCC’s export promotion arm, Cotton Council International (CCI). Re-elected as CCI directors were: Stewart; Richard Gaona, a Roby producer; Craig Heinrich, a Lubbock producer; Tim North and Phil Bogel, Dallas merchants; and James Massey, a cottonseed processor from Harlingen. Schniers was re-elected as the Southwest region director of the NCC’s American Cotton Producers (ACP). ACP Texas co-chairmen are: Gaona, Jon Whatley, Odem; Brent Nelson, Sudan; and Stacy Smith, Wilson. Re-elected as NCC Texas unit officers were: Barry Street, a Kress ginner, chairman; David Wyatt, a Woodsboro ginner, vice chairman; and Elmer Braden, Jr., a Coyanosa producer, secretary. As the unifying force of the U.S. cotton industry, the Memphisbased NCC brings together industry representatives from the 17 cotton-producing states to establish policies reflecting the common interests and promoting mutual benefits for its broad membership and ancillary industries. The NCC’s mission is ensuring the ability of all industry segments to compete effectively and profitably in the raw cotton, oilseed and U.S.-manufactured product markets at home and abroad.