Directors & Staff

Board of Directors

Jimmy Gentry

President
Executive (Chair), Development Committee
Retired (The North Carolina State Grange, President)

Jay Darden

Vice President
Finance Committee
Regional Sales Manager, Horizon Farm Credit

Barbara Bleiweis

Secretary
Development Committee
Mecklenburg Soil and Water Conservation District Board (Chair)

Josh Myers

Treasurer
Executive Committee, Finance Committee (chair)
Guilford Soil and Water Conservation District

Evan Kleinhans

Finance Committee
President and CEO, AgCarolina Farm Credit

Dr. Karolen Bowman

Scholarship Committee
Physician (retired)

Mikey Fulk

Development Committee
Executive Director, Working Lands Trust

Tina Gross

Scholarship Committee
Farmer, Gross Farms

Shawn Harding

Development Committee
President, NC Farm Bureau Federation

Steve Harris

Albemarle Soil and Water Conservation District

Dr. John Hatcher

Finance Committee
Executive Director, NC Forestry Association

Gail Hughes

Scholarship Committee
President, NC Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts

James “Cookie” Lamb

Scholarship Committee
Environmental Specialist, Prestage Farms

Roy Lee Lindsey

Finance Committee
Chief Executive Officer, NC Pork Council

Chester Lowder

Development Committee (Chair), Executive Committee
Vice Chair, Stanly Soil and Water Conservation District Board

Chad Puryear

Development Committee, Nominating Committee (Chair), Executive Committee
Chief Lending Officer, AgSouth Farm Credit

Herbert Rouse

Development Committee
President of Harvey Farms LLC

Jay Rouse

Nominating Committee
Director of Government Affairs, NC Association of Electric Cooperative Associations

Dr. Alton Thompson

Executive Committee, Scholarship Committee (Chair)
Executive Director, Association of 1890 Research Directors

Steve Troxler

Commissioner of Agriculture, NC Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services

Neill Westerbeek

Development Committee
Grower Relations Manager, Smithfield Hog Production Division

Staff

Amanda Sand

Executive Director

Alicia Moore

Executive Assistant

Gail Hughes

Program Manager

Tom Potter

Program Manager

Kevin Johnson

Program Manager

Jack Kagan

Program Assistant