The Georgia Cotton Commission has announced the guest speakers at the commission’s 2024 annual meeting scheduled for Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2024, at the University of Georgia (UGA) Tifton Campus Conference Center.
The program speakers are Micah Brown, staff attorney, National Agricultural Law Center; Bruce Atherley, executive director, Cotton Council International; and Jim Davis, CEO, Southern Cotton Growers.
- Brown’s primary areas of research are finance and credit, commercial transactions, secured transactions, federal crop insurance and foreign ownership of agricultural land.
- Atherley has served as executive director of Cotton Council International (CCI), the export promotion arm of the cotton industry, since 2015. CCI works to make US cotton the preferred fiber for mills, manufacturers, brands, retailers, and consumers around the world.
- Davis will begin his new role as CEO of Southern Cotton Growers on Jan. 1, 2024. He has been transitioning into the CEO role since October 2023 after serving the industry for more than 30 years as the Southeastern Member Services Representative for the National Cotton Council.
The GCC annual meeting is held in conjunction with the UGA Cotton Production Workshop conducted by the UGA Research & Extension Cotton Team. The workshop will feature breakout sessions where attendees will learn the latest technical production strategies from the researchers whose projects are funded by the commission’s research program. The Georgia Cotton Commission annual meeting will follow the breakout sessions and feature the guest speakers. The commission will host a lunch where sponsors will be recognized, door prizes will be given away and awards will be presented. The meeting, production workshop, and lunch are open to not only cotton growers, but anyone interested in the cotton industry. The UGA Cotton Production Workshop breakout sessions will be repeated after lunch.
There is no charge to attend. Pre-registration is requested to help with meal plans. Register online at www.ugatiftonconference.caes.uga.edu or call (229) 386-3416.