1-Giovana Lysel Benitez
Edinburg – Hidalgo County
Managing partner for MNR Cattle Company LLC/Jemar Ranch responsible for managing seedstock, feedlot operations/nutrition rations, pasture management, irrigation, and marketing/business plans.
2-Randall Lynn Carpenter
Earth – Lamb County
Regional Account Manager/Genetic Consultant & Sales for STgenetics in Texas and New Mexico. Past general manager for Full Circle Jerseys in Dalhart, Texas.
3-Christi Chadwell Short
Rochester – Haskell County
Southwest Regional Communications Manager for The Cotton Board; Partner in Short Farms producing peanuts, cotton, wheat, and beef cattle.
4-Matthew Lee Clifton
Lufkin – Angelina County
Branch Manager/Loan Officer for Heritage Land Bank, ACA in Lufkin financing part-time and full-time producers in forestry, poultry, beef cattle and greenhouses/horticulture.
5-Tyler William Cross
Corpus Christi – Nueces County
Assistant Gin Manager for Smith Gin Co-op in Odem assisting in overseeing the operation from producer relations to seasonal maintenance and production.
6-Andrew David Dusek
Bryan – Brazos County
Market Consultant for Southwest Agribusiness providing commodity marketing and risk management decisions for producers. Also, helps manage a family commercial cow/calf operation.
7-Carmen Michelle Fenton
Amarillo – Randall County
Director of Communications for Texas Cattle Feeders Association carries out all advocacy, marketing and internal/external efforts. In addition, helps manage a family commercial cow/calf operation.
8-Kate McDowell Fred
Shamrock – Wheeler County
Co-Owner of McDowell Ranch and Assistant Bookkeeper responsible for accounting, sales & marketing for all cattle and cotton. Also, operate a fencing supply business with Stay-Tuff Fencing supplies.
9-Lance Christopher Gilliland
Stephenville – Erath County
Business Lending Specialist with Members Trust of the Southwest Federal Credit Union specializing in agriculture and business lending/credit analysis for dairy, beef and crop producers.
10-Mary E. González
Clint – El Paso County
Texas State Representative serving for four terms, three of which were on the House Agriculture & Livestock Committee. She is actively engaged in rural and agricultural issues in West Texas.
11-James Brennen Johnson
Ropesville – Hockley County
Program Coordinator for Dairy MAX, Inc. informing dairy farmers about their checkoff dollars and owner/operator of Brennen Johnson Farm’s producing irrigated and dryland cotton.
12-Katy Nell Kemp
Bridgeport-Wise County
Brand Strategist for Cultivate Agency providing marketing strategies, communication plans and digital & social media for clientele. Co-owner of Kemp Angus Farm, LLC, a registered Black Angus operation.
13-Blair Nicole Krebs
College Station – Brazos County
Executive Director/Publisher for the Texas Pecan Growers Association and Pecan South Magazine, providing research, education, marketing and advocacy for the Texas Pecan Industry nationally/abroad.
14-John “Big John” Leifester
San Antonio – Bexar County
President/Owner of Dedicated Landscape Solutions a Commercial Landscape Construction Company specializing in installation of trees, ornamental shrubs, plants and turf grass with some landscape design.
15-Emily Marie Lochner
Waco – McLennan County
Editor, Brangus Publications, Inc; a self-employed contractor in writing and editing; fifth-generation beef and dairy cattle producer.
16-John Christopher Looney
Gainesville – Cooke County
Relationship Manager for CoBank, ACB providing financing to agricultural cooperatives & businesses, and food/beverage businesses. Also, participates in family’s cow/calf, stocker, wheat, and soybean operation.
17-Stephen Erik Loyd
Mertzon – Schleicher County
Ranch Manager for Case Ranch Herefords, a Registered Hereford Seedstock Operation providing purebred bulls to commercial and registered Hereford beef cattle producers in Texas and nationally.
18-Bryson Grant McCarty Littlefield – Lamb County
Co-Owner of McCarty Farms Partnership producing cotton, corn, wheat, sunflowers, sorghum, rye and stocker cattle and Double B Ag Supply, LLC supplying lubricants/ fuel/oil/filters and G-H Genetics seed.
19-Samuel M. Nesbitt
Wolfforth – Lubbock County
Vice President for American Bank of Commerce specializing in agriculture and business lending/credit analysis for cotton, grain sorghum, beef, and various crops.
20-Joseph Riordan Patranella
College Station – Brazos County
Assistant Vice President/Attorney for Capital Farm Credit, ACA, as an in-house attorney providing legal counsel for association loans. Co-owner, Patranella Land & Cattle, L.L.C., a commercial cow-calf operation.
21-Andrew Culton Polk
Fort Worth – Tarrant County
Loan Officer with Lone Star Ag Credit providing financing for livestock, row crops and land purchases and Ranch Manager for Polk Land & Cattle Company’s beef, timber, hay and wildlife operation.
22-Charles Philip Rutledge
Canadian – Lipscomb County
Owner and Ranch manager of T5 Ranch, a commercial beef cattle operation including custom grazing, hay production, wildlife management, marketing and sales.
23-Isaac Villalon Sulemana
Sullivan City – Hidalgo County
Chief of Staff for Hidalgo County Judge Richard F. Cortez supervising economic development and public policy. Also co-owns Sulemana Farms/EGN Land & Cattle producing show cattle, hay, corn and cotton.
24-Stefen Miles Tucker
Lubbock – Lubbock County
County Executive Director, USDA – Lynn County Farm Service Agency implementing the Farm Bill with producers. Co-owner of Tumble T Ranch & Vineyards, purebred Red Brangus and vineyards.
25-Tra
vis Garrett Ward
Dallas – Denton County
Purchasing and Inventory Manager for OakStreet Wholesale Nursery sourcing landscape materials for wholesale customers and assisting family with a cow/calf operation in Throckmorton County.
26-Steven Ross White
Lubbock-Lubbock County
Vice President of Operations & Administration at Farmers Cooperative Compress, overseeing operations at six cotton warehousing locations across West Texas and the Panhandle, as well administration of the cooperative’s human resources, employee benefits and cooperative accounting functions.