MEMPHIS, Tenn. — May 1, 2024 — The U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol has today announced the appointment of a refreshed and expanded board of directors. The refreshed board comes with the appointment of 11 new board members and expands the board from the previous 16 to now 22 members.
The appointment of the new board comes as part of a governance review four years into the successful development of the program, and at a natural inflection point in the Trust Protocol’s evolution. The board has been expanded in particular to give greater and more equal representation to international stakeholders and across the entire supply chain, while enhancing its diversity.
The U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol Board of Directors announced today includes:
- four growers, each representing one of the four U.S. cotton-growing regions;
- three representatives of gins and cottonseed producers;
- four merchants and cooperatives;
- four mills and manufacturers;
- three representatives from NGOs and academia, and
- four brand and retailer members
The refreshed board is structured to deliver on the Trust Protocol’s emphasis of further connecting the supply chain from the farm to end user, driving demand from all segments, and seeking to improve impact, as well as building program understanding amongst growers to drive continued enrollment.
With a view to ensuring fresh perspectives while retaining institutional knowledge, board members are appointed for a period of two years renewable once. An Advisory Council with a fluctuating number of seats complements the board by providing ad-hoc expertise on specific topics.
Commenting on the board appointments, Daren Abney, executive director of the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol, said: “I’m thrilled about the formation of our newly refreshed Board of Directors. Comprised of exceptional experts and leaders spanning the global supply chain, this board represents a significant milestone in the governance of the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol. By incorporating a blend of domestic and international voices, this board will ensure a diversity of perspectives that will drive value for all members across the supply chain, while ensuring that cotton growers remain at the very heart of the program.”
The new board members are:
- Cotton Growers
- Sam Whitaker, partner, Whitaker Farms
- Gins and Cottonseed
- Larry Black, general manager, Central Rolling Plains Co-op
- Coops and Merchants
- Krista Rickman, commercial strategic Lead, Cargill Cotton
- Carlos Garcia, director of sales, Plains Cotton Cooperative Association (PCCA)
- Mills and Manufacturers
- Adolfo Kalach, vice president, Kaltex Group
- Saima Chowdhury, founder and CEO, Noi Solutions LLC
- NGOs and Academia
- Suzy Friedman, senior director of Food Policy, World Wildlife Fund
- Tyson Raper, Pettigrew Cotton specialist, University of Tennessee
- Brands and Retailers
- Katie O’Hare, senior director of Sustainability, J.Crew Group
- Agata Smeets, head of Environment and Product Sustainability, Gap Inc.
- Virginie Cayzeele, head of Raw Materials, Kiabi
They join existing members:
- Cotton Growers
- Aaron Barcellos, partner, A-Bar Ag Enterprises
- Dahlen Hancock, owner, DK & J Farms
- Matt Coley, owner, Coley Farms
- Gins and Cottonseed
- Fred Serven, general manager of Cotton, Archer Daniels Midland
- David Blakemore, president, Blakemore Cotton and Grain LLC.
- Coops and Merchants
- Hank Reichle, president and CEO, Staplcotn
- William (Buddy) Allen, president and CEO, American Cotton Shippers Association
- Mills and Manufacturers
- Jim Martin, executive vice president of Cotton Operations, Parkdale Mills Inc.
- Mike Quinn, vice president of Cotton Operations, Gildan Yarns LLC.
- NGOs and Academia
- Kris Johnson, director of the North America Agriculture Program, The Nature Conservancy
- Brands and Retailers
- Hitesh Sharma, senior lead, Sustainable Sourcing and Traceability (Global Sustainability), Levi Strauss & Company
To find out more and see the full list of board members, visit trustuscotton.org/governance/board-of-directors/.
Posted: May 1, 2024
Source: The U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol
