The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced the appointment of 10 producer members, 10 producer alternate members, four importer members, seven alternate members and one advisor to serve three-year terms on the Cotton Board from Jan. 1, 2026, through Dec. 31, 2028. Additionally, USDA appointed four individuals to fill board vacancies.
Newly appointed members: John Newby, Producer – AL; Brad Harrison, Producer – OK; Bradley Monahan, Producer – VA; Lisa Keyser – Importer.
Newly appointed alternate members: Shep Morris, Producer – AL; Adam McLendon, Producer – GA; Jason Lawless, Producer – OK; Robert Hill, Producer – TN; Jeff Mitch – Importer; Samantha Gordon, Importer; Yelena Mogelefsky – Importer.
Reappointed members: David DeFelix, Producer – FL; Ben Grimsley, Producer – GA; David Light, Producer – KS; Riley James, Producer – MO; Alisa Ogden, Producer – NM; Rusty Darby, Producer – SC; Alex Armour, Producer – TN; Lauri Rando – Importer; Avinash Bhaskar – Importer; John Rosman – Importer.
Reappointed alternate members: Alan Edwards, Producer – FL; Carolyn Seeliger, Producer – KS; Chad Fullerton, Producer – MO; Nathan Jurva, Producer – NM; Frank Rogers, Producer – SC; JW Jones Jr., Producer – VA; Doug Brenner – Importer; Elizabeth Cobarrubias – Importer; James Self III – Importer; Volkan Tastan – Importer.
Reappointed advisor: Karla Magruder – NY.
In addition, USDA issued the following appointments to fill board vacancies with terms that through Dec. 31, 2026:
Reappointed members: Matt Farmer, Producer – TX
Reappointed alternate members: Brad Warren, Producer – NC; R.N. Hopper Jr. – TX.
“First and foremost, I want to thank our appointees for their time and their willingness to represent the cotton industry during these tumultuous times. I look forward to working alongside each of these industry leaders.” said Board Chair Matt Farmer of Lamesa, Texas. “We’ll now turn our focus to orientation and getting everyone familiar with the responsibility of serving on the Cotton Board.”
Members, Alternates, and Advisors of The Cotton Board collaboratively represent the interests of both importers and producers to The Cotton Board and Cotton Incorporated. Their insight contributes to activities of the Cotton Research & Promotion Program targeted at improving the profitability of the entire cotton industry. If you are interested in becoming a member of The Cotton Board, please contact your local Certified Producer/Importer Organization or the U.S. Department of Agriculture for more information.
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