Hunter Biram is an assistant professor with the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture where his extension work focuses on agricultural policy, crop insurance, and risk management. A native of Floral, Arkansas, Hunter was reared on his family’s farm which produced cattle, broilers, nursery crops, and peaches. He earned his B.S.A. in agricultural business at Arkansas State University, his M.S. in agricultural economics at Mississippi State University, and his Ph.D. in agricultural economics at Kansas State University. While an A-State student, Hunter completed internships with Glaub Farm Management, Senator John Boozman’s Jonesboro office, Peco Foods, Congressman Rick Crawford’s Washington, D.C. office, and the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives.
Chad Brewer is the assistant director for the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol and leads the Climate Smart Cotton Program for the Trust Protocol. He is a scientist and cotton agronomist with 15 years of experience with the cotton ecosystem. He has held previous positions in private industry and holds a Ph.D. in weed ecology and biology from the University of Arkansas.
Dana Brooks is CEO of the Pet Foods Institute. Based in Washington, D.C. PFI is the national trade association for the U.S. pet food industry. Dana became interested in politics and agricultural policy while a student in the A-State College of Agriculture. After beginning her career in grain merchandising, Dana moved to Washington D.C. to work as a legislative assistant to Arkansas Congressman Marion Berry during the 2002 farm bill debate. She later served on Congresswoman Jo Ann Emerson’s staff, then left Capitol Hill to work on government relations and public policy for American Farm Bureau, Florida Farm Bureau, National Milk Producers Federation, and Elanco Animal Health. She joined PFI in 2018. A native of Portland, Arkansas, Dana earned her M.S. in agribusiness from Kansas State University.
Keith Coble is vice president of the Mississippi State University Division of Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Medicine and the W.L. Giles Distinguished Professor in the MSU Department of Agricultural Economics where his research focused on agricultural policy and risk management. During the 2014 farm bill debate, Keith served as chief economist for former U.S. Senator Thad Cochran and the minority leadership of the Senate Agriculture Committee. Prior to joining MSU, Keith served as a team leader at the USDA-Economic Research Service in Washington D.C. A native of Mountain Grove in southern Missouri, Keith earned his B.S. and M.S. degrees in agricultural education at the University of Missouri and his Ph.D. in agricultural economics at Texas A&M University.
Greg Cole is president and CEO of AgHeritage Farm Credit Services, ACA – a cooperative which serves the credit and financial needs of members in 24 Central Arkansas counties. The cooperative currently manages over $1.2 billion in assets. Greg has 40 years of experience in the Farm Credit System and began as a student intern with the Farm Credit Bank of St. Louis. He currently serves on the Farm Credit System Presidents Planning and the A-State College of Agriculture Advisory Board. He earned his B.S.A in Agricultural Business & Economics from the A-State College of Agriculture and is a graduate of the LSU Graduate School of Banking. Greg is a native of Harrisburg, Arkansas.
Grayson Daniels is vice president for grain sales and procurement at Riceland Foods, Inc., a farmer owned cooperative headquartered in Stuttgart, Arkansas. Prior to joining Riceland in 2002, Grayson was an agricultural policy analyst at Sparks Companies, Inc. in Washington, D.C. Grayson is past president of the Midsouth Grain Association and currently serves on the board of directors of the National Oilseed Producers Association. Reared on his family’s farm near Paragould, Arkansas, Grayson earned his B.S.A. in agricultural business from Arkansas State University and his M.S. in agricultural economics from Purdue University.
Megan DeYoung is head of Transformation and Business development with RiceTec, Inc. Prior to joining RiceTec in February 2023, Megan was vice president of business development at AeroFarms, a vertical farming company. She has advised multiple Fortune 1000 companies on how to develop and implement strategies that marry environmental and social action with business value. Megan earned a B.A. in sociology at Emory University and graduated from the University of Michigan with an M.B.A. from the Ross School of Business and a M.S. from the School for Environment and Sustainability.
Bert Greenwalt is a professor of agricultural economics at Arkansas State University, director of the A-State Agribusiness Conference, and farms with his family at Hazen, Arkansas. During 1999-2004 he was elected to two terms as a director of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, and later served eight years on the St. Louis Fed Agribusiness Council. Bert currently serves as a director of the Agricultural Council of Arkansas. He earned a B.S.A. in agricultural business & economics from Arkansas State University, an M.S. from the University of Arkansas, and his Ph.D. from Mississippi State University.
Glen Hoffsis is the founding dean of the Arkansas State University’s upcoming College of Veterinary Medicine. An experienced veterinary administrator, Glen served as dean of the Ohio State University and University of Florida veterinary colleges. He recently guided the creation of the Lincoln Memorial University College of Veterinary Medicine in Harrogate, TN. Glen earned his bachelor’s in animal science and DVM from Ohio State University and served a large animal medicine internship at Colorado State University
Jeff Johnson is vice president and head of U.S. Domestic Sales at Allenberg Cotton Company in Memphis, Tennessee. He has 32 years of experience in originating and merchandising U.S. cotton for the Louis Dreyfus Group. Jeff has previously served as president of the Southern Cotton Shippers Association, the Memphis Cotton Exchange, and as chairman of the American Cotton Shippers Association. He currently serves as a director and executive committee member of the National Cotton Council and is chairman of the NCC Quality Task Force. Jeff earned his B.S. in marketing and M.S.A. in agriculture from Arkansas State University.
Donald “Bud” Kennedy is associate dean of the A-State College of Agriculture and a professor of animal science. A native of Alvin, Texas, Bud earned his B.S. and M.Ed. in agricultural education from Sam Houston State University and his Ph.D. in animal science from Louisiana State University. He joined the A-State faculty in 1993. In 2016, the Delta Tau Alpha agriculture honor society recognized Bud with its National Outstanding Teacher and Advisor award. He currently serves on the A-State College of Veterinary Medicine planning committee.
Micky LaTour was appointed dean of the Arkansas State University College of Agriculture in August 2020. Previous positions include dean of the College of Agricultural Sciences at Southern Illinois University and associate dean at Purdue University. A native of Louisiana, Mickey earned his B.S. in animal science at Southeastern Louisiana State University and his M.S. and Ph.D. at Mississippi State University.
Harrison Pittman is director of the National Agricultural Law Center. A unit of the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture, the Center serves as the nation’s leading source of agricultural and food law research and information. He began his work with the Center as a graduate assistant in 2001. Harrison's research areas include the farm bill, water and environmental law, pesticide regulation and agritourism. A native of Clarendon, Arkansas, Harrison received his J.D. and L.L.M. in agricultural law from the University of Arkansas.
