COTTON BOARD - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Regional Communications Manager - Southwest
- Southwest Regional Communications Manager
Christi Short serves as the Southwest Regional Communications Manager for The Cotton Board, with a territory including east, central, south, and far west Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California. Short works with cotton growers, organizations, and other industry stakeholders in her region to communicate with growers how the Cotton Research and Promotion Program is working on their behalf. Giving presentations at meetings, assisting with participation on Cotton Incorporated tours, and going on farm tours are just a few of her many activities throughout the year. In addition to producer outreach and communications in the Southwest, Short plays an active role in posting and creating grower content for The Cotton Board's social media accounts. Before joining The Cotton Board in August of 2017, Short served as the Communications and Recruiting Coordinator for the Plant and Soil Science Department at Texas Tech University and the Texas International Cotton School coordinator. She holds a Master of Science and Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Communications from Texas Tech University. She and her husband, Ross, live in Rochester, Texas, on their cotton, peanut, corn, wheat, and beef cattle farming operation. Short enjoys volunteering in her community, riding horses, working in the garden and on the farm, and spending time with family. Short is a former Texas Tech Masked Rider, former Therapeutic Riding Instructor, volunteer with American Cancer Society, and an active member in the Francis Rainey DAR Chapter. She is also currently engaged in the Texas Agricultural Lifetime Leadership Program (TALL), a two-year intensive program led by the Texas A&M AgriLife System.
Job Titles:
- Southeast Regional Communications Manager
Job Titles:
- Vice President of Importer Relations
Elizabeth King is Vice President of Importer Relations for The Cotton Board. King serves as the primary liaison for The Cotton Board's brand and retail stakeholders. She is also the staff lead for the organization's Importer Support Program committee and the Global Supply Chain Marketing committee. A native of Montreal, Canada, King started her career in production and sales at a textile agency and continued in garment production and sourcing in Montreal and New York before joining The Cotton Board in 1999. King is a graduate of the University of New Brunswick and lives in Glendale, California, with her husband Curtis and daughter Sophie.
Job Titles:
- Vice President of Operations
Emily Wyonzek is the Vice President of Operations for The Cotton Board where she manages the Regional Communications Managers, directs the HR function of the Board, and participates in strategic planning for the organization. Wyonzek joined The Cotton Board staff in 2008. She started Team Cotton, a corporate wellness program for The Cotton Board staff that not only challenges its members to eat healthy and exercise, but to also care for their mental and emotional health. She is The Cotton Board's staff lead for the Agriculture Research committee and supports the Executive Committee and Officers of the Board. Wyonzek holds a BA in Literature from Arkansas State University and an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Memphis. She currently serves as the President of the Memphis Farmers Market and is an avid runner.
Frances Lucas is the Compliance Manager of The Cotton Board. As the Compliance Manager, Lucas has the opportunity to liaise with cotton gins, cotton buyers, and importers. Her role with The Cotton Board is crucial in making sure the aforementioned parties comply with USDA federal regulations. Additionally, she oversees the accuracy of the reporting of all cotton transactions. Lucas attended State Technical Institute and studied accounting. She also earned certifications in Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Lucas has worked with The Cotton Board for many years and prides herself in being a loyal, compassionate, trustworthy, honest, hardworking, and self-driven employee. Her passions include crocheting, crafting, gardening, cooking, working with numbers, auditing, and preparing income taxes.
Job Titles:
- Regional Communications Manager - Mid - South
Grant Saum is The Cotton Board's Mid-South Regional Communications Manager. Saum's territory includes Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, and Tennessee. Saum joined The Cotton Board in January 2021 and works to ensure that stakeholders are informed about the activities of the Cotton Research and Promotion Program. Saum visits producers in the field, speaks at industry meetings, participates in trade shows, and coordinates Cotton Incorporated producer tours. Before joining The Cotton Board, Saum worked as a District Sales Manager for GreenPoint Ag in Alabama and Southern Mississippi. Saum, a Tennessee-native, obtained an ag business degree from the University of Tennessee at Martin. He is an active member of his local Rotary Club and a former FFA Tennessee state officer. He lives with his wife Clare and pup Leo in Athens, Alabama.
Job Titles:
- Director of Information Technology
Lexie Jones is the Director of Information Technology for The Cotton Board. Jones manages an array of programs for The Cotton Board and is always looking for innovative ways to infuse new technology, streamline business processes, and provide valuable utilities to staff and board members. Jones is the lead staff on The Cotton Board's Finance Committee and supports the Audit and Investment Subcommittee and Consumer Marketing Committee. She is responsible for implementing and supporting The Cotton Board's electronic systems for board meeting materials and expense reporting. Jones created and continues to administer the internal application, Cotton Reporting and Operational Planning Hub (C.R.O.P Hub), that acts as a client management system for the board's regional team and allows handlers and gins to electronically complete all required compliance reporting. In her role, she is also responsible for the budget and support of all software licenses and equipment maintenance for The Cotton Board. Jones graduated from the University of Mississippi with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Management Information Systems (MIS). Before joining The Cotton Board in 2008, Jones worked for multiple investment firms designing websites and managing network and internal applications. Jones, a native of Southaven, Mississippi, has been married to Anthony Jones for 19 years and has two sons.
Lisa Droke is the Senior Vice President and CFO for The Cotton Board. Droke is responsible for managing all Financial and Information Technology functions for The Cotton Board. She serves as a staff member on The Cotton Board's Finance Committee, Audit and Investment Subcommittee, and Consumer Marketing Committee. Droke joined The Cotton Board in 2009 after serving in senior positions in corporate accounting at major gaming and hospitality companies. Droke holds designations as a Certified Public Accountant and a Chartered Global Management Accountant. Droke graduated from the University of Memphis with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Accountancy and a Master of Business Administration degree in Accountancy. Droke is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. Droke resides in Memphis, Tennessee, and volunteers in community service and serves on local nonprofit boards
Randy Riales is the Director of Compliance for The Cotton Board. Riales leads the Compliance Department's efforts to collect Cotton Research and Promotion Program assessments from America's cotton producers and importers and oversees the collection of required information submitted by collecting handlers and gins. Additionally, he assists The Cotton Board's Finance Department by conducting internal control reviews. He is support staff for The Cotton Board's Finance Committee, Audit and Investment Sub-Committee, and Research & Development Committee. Riales has been with The Cotton Board for 23 years and has 32 years of total experience in the agri-business industry. He graduated from Memphis State University with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree with an Accounting major. Riales currently resides in Arlington, Tennessee, with his wife, Robin. They have two married children and three grandchildren.
Job Titles:
- Regional Communications Manager - Southern Plains
Shelley Heinrich is the Southern Plains Regional Communications Manager for The Cotton Board. Heinrich works with cotton producers and industry leaders in Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas providing up-to-date information about The Cotton Research & Promotion program. Heinrich enjoys spending time with cotton producers and listening to their concerns while educating them on the efforts funded by The Cotton Board. Engagement and learning from producers and industry leaders is a lifelong passion for Heinrich. She grew up in a farming and cattle operation in Hereford, Texas, and was active in the 4-H judging and horse programs. Heinrich holds degrees in Accounting and Finance from Lubbock Christian University. Heinrich joined The Cotton Board staff in 2017. Before joining The Cotton Board, Heinrich was the development director for National Sorghum Producers and a regional finance manager for Wells Fargo Banks. She currently serves on the Fibermax Center for Discovery board and serves in advisory positions to multiple local boards. Heinrich is a past trustee for the Lubbock Cooper School Board, a United Way board member, treasurer, former coach for South Plains Girls Fastpitch Assn., and was a member of the Texas Agricultural Lifetime Leadership program (TALL XIII). Heinrich and her family own a farming operation in southern Lubbock and Lynn counties near Slaton, Texas. She and her husband Burt have one son, Heath Heinrich, and three daughters, Lauren Bessent (husband, Kody), Aubry Heinrich, and Reagan Heinrich.
Job Titles:
- Director of Communications
Stacey Gorman is the Director of Communications for The Cotton Board. Gorman leads The Cotton Board's Communications Department's ongoing efforts to keep America's cotton producers informed of the Cotton Research and Promotion Program's activities. She leads The Cotton Board's advertising, public relations, social media, marketing, and producer-outreach efforts. Gorman is The Cotton Board's staff lead for its Program Information and Consumer Marketing committees. Gorman also works with The Cotton Board's Importer Support Committee, supporting cotton importers from major brands and retailers to bridge the gap between cotton on the farm and the cotton they need to bring their products to consumers. Gorman joined The Cotton Board staff in 2008 after graduating from the University of Central Arkansas with degrees in Public Relations and Writing. Gorman's work with The Cotton Board has resulted in myriad honors and awards, including Overall Grand Champion for the "Renew Your Faith in Cotton" campaign at the 2016 National Agricultural Marketing Association (NAMA) awards and National First Place in Advertising for the "Forever Cotton" campaign at the 2019 NAMA awards. Gorman, a native to Southeast Arkansas, currently resides in Warren, Arkansas, with her husband Brandon and two children.
Job Titles:
- Director of Oversight & Administration
Tom Eubank is The Cotton Board's Director of Oversight and Administration. Eubank oversees the development, management, and support of The Cotton Board's functional oversight and general administration roles. His efforts contribute to the organization's effective governance and stewardship of the Cotton Research and Promotion Program. Before joining The Cotton Board staff in 2004, Eubank was director of Resource Development for the Memphis Regional Chamber of Commerce. He also served as regional executive director for Policy Resources, a public advocacy firm based in Washington, DC. Additionally, he served on both the campaign and senate staff of former U.S. Senator Fred Thompson. Eubank currently sits on the Regional One Health - Extended Care Hospital board and serves on the board of trustees of St. Luke's United Methodist Church in Memphis. He has also served and held various officer and leadership positions on the MED Foundation board, the Memphis Botanic Garden board, and the Memphis Cotton Museum board. He received his B.A. from the University of Mississippi. Eubank resides in Memphis, Tennessee, and is married to Martha Fowler Eubank, originally from Fayette County, Tennessee. He and his wife have three children.
William A. "Bill" Gillon was named President & CEO of The Cotton Board in October 2010. Bill has been active in agricultural law and policy for over 35 years. His work experience includes the USDA Office of General Counsel, Senior Counsel to the Senate Agriculture Committee, General Counsel of the National Cotton Council of America, and private law practice focusing on agricultural law and policy, the promotion of entrepreneurship, and non-profit organizations. Throughout his career, Gillon has been heavily involved in agriculture, international trade, conservation and environmental issues, and public policy in general.
Among other national programs, he helped develop and implement the Conservation Reserve Program, Highly Erodible Land Conservation and Wetlands protections, the 1990 Farm Bill, the Organic Foods Production Act, and several meaningful and significant disaster bills. He also had a hand in a major rewrite of U.S. international food donation law. Gillon served as General Counsel to the National Cotton Council for 19 years, participating in legislative, regulatory, legal, and international trade issues during his time there. Among other issues, he developed the legal framework that allowed the cotton industry to adopt electronic warehouse receipts, represented the U.S. cotton industry in international trade negotiations, and defended the U.S. cotton industry in international trade disputes.
Gillon was raised on a small, diverse farming operation in north central Mississippi. He received his law degree from the University of Georgia and his undergraduate degree from Mississippi State University. He has served on several local boards and organizations, including serving as Chairman of the Board of Agricenter International, Chairman of the Shelby County Agricenter Commission, and President of the Advisory Council for the Dean of the Mississippi State University College of Arts and Sciences. He and his wife Adrienne have two adult children. Gillon enjoys playing guitar and the odd woodworking project.