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Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation
Agricultural News and Information
Greg Gibson, Coordinator
Public Relations / Multimedia
1-800-227-8244 ext. 4154
or 601-977-4154
email: ggibson@msfb.org
Waide re-elected as president of Farm Bureau
Jackson - David Waide, a Clay County row crop and cattle producer, has
been re-elected to his sixth two-year term as president of the Mississippi
Farm Bureau Federation (MFBF). The election took place during the business
session of the farm organization’s 85th Annual Meeting, which concluded
Sunday, in Jackson . Joining Waide in being elected were the organization’s
three area vice presidents: North Mississippi, Donald Gant of Bolivar
County ; Central Mississippi, Randy Knight of Rankin County ; and South
Mississippi, Reggie Magee of Jeff Davis County .
Newly elected or re-elected directors on the MFBF Board include: Lowell Hinton, Alcorn County; Ken Middleton, Washington County; Kelcy Shields, Itawamba County; Richard Canull, Noxubee County; Jimmie Arthur, Leake County; Ricky Ruffin, Jasper County; Neal Clinkscales, Sharkey County; Bill Pigott, Walthall County; W. G. Hickman, Stone County; and Louis Breaux, IV, Hancock County. Clint Tindall of Webster County will sit on the Board due to his election as Young Farmer & Rancher Committee chairman.
Over 650 Farm Bureau members, representing the state’s 82 county Farm Bureaus, took part in the two-day meeting where, in addition to the election of officers and directors, the delegates adopted policy to guide the organization’s efforts during 2007. Policies relating to national issues will be forwarded to the American Farm Bureau Federation for consideration at its annual meeting, which is scheduled for Salt Lake City , Utah , in mid-January.
In other meeting activities, Meagan Holaday of Madison County and a freshman at Mississippi State University , was selected as Miss Farm Bureau - Mississippi in a competition with 4 other contestants from around the state. Holaday will serve as a spokesperson for Farm Bureau during the next year.
Bill Ryan and Leslie Tabb of Bolivar County were selected as Farm Bureau’s Young Farmer Achievement Award winner. They will join Dr. Matthew Burnham of Covington County , who won the YF&R Discussion Meet competition, in traveling to Salt Lake City to represent Mississippi in the national competition.
The annual MFBF Distinguished Service Award was presented to Dr. Vance Watson, Vice President of Agriculture, Forestry, and Veterinary Medicine at Mississippi State University .
The Excellence in Leadership Award went to Sylvia Clark of Calhoun County for her work promoting the sweet potato industry in Mississippi .
Two Friend of Agriculture Awards were presented. These awards go to state legislators that are supportive of Farm Bureau and agriculture in their work in the state legislature. The recipients were Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith of Brookhaven and Representative David Gibbs of West Point.
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