South Central Texans named to TALL class

By KARI KRAMER | East Texas Edition

July 8, 2004 -- "Given the critical issues facing agriculture today, there is a need to provide intensive leadership development experiences for a promising new generation of leaders," said Dr. Jim Mazurkiewicz, director of the Texas Agricultural Lifetime Leadership (TALL) program.

The TALL program was formed during the late 1980s to provide leaders for the future of the food and fiber industry in Texas.

Recently, 25 members were been selected to represent Class IX of TALL. Class participants will meet eight times over the course of two years. Six of the meetings will be held at sites across Texas.

The group will attend seminars with experts and have the opportunity to gain knowledge about the vast agricultural industries in Texas, the nation, and throughout the world.

"By participating in these seminars, we hope class members broaden their views and vision of agriculture on the state level, as well as internationally," said Mazurkiewicz.

Cord Willms is a resident of Corpus Christi and the district sales manager of Delta and Pine Land Co. Willms provides sales and technical support for cottonseed, and soybean and biotechnology traits. Willms also produces commercial cattle, hay, and pecans.

Willms said he expects to gain a lot from the TALL experiences ahead.

"I would like to expand my knowledge of other aspects of agriculture and related businesses. I want to learn more about state, national and international political processes effecting agriculture and our society as a whole. I also hope to build lasting relationships with the other TALL members and develop skills to aid in my leadership roles."

Participants will have the chance to witness the agricultural spectrum through several tours of agriculture-related businesses and industries and will witness the unique problems encountered at the various production and distribution phases in agriculture.

"I have no doubt that I will learn valuable leadership tools to aid in my job, as well as my agricultural and civic responsibilities. Hopefully I will be able to use these tools to help educate others in the community about how agriculture affects their daily lives," said Willms.

During the first year of the program, TALL participants will travel to another state and then to Washington, D.C. In the second year of the program, international studies will top the agenda for the class. Members of the newest class will travel to areas of Texas, Mexico, Washington, D.C., New York, and Brazil.

Several members of TALL agreed the time demands of work, home, and TALL will change their schedules.

"We are all very busy; most of us have families we want and need to be with, and we have fulltime jobs that are very demanding. I feel proud to be part of a group of people that is willing to commit to such an endeavor. While I am somewhat apprehensive about how I will make all this work and am overwhelmed with the huge responsibility that I have agreed to take on, I am very excited about the challenge ahead. For the first time, I think I am getting an idea of what it means to serve," said Class IX member Kody King of Comfort. King is the district manager for Purina Mills.

TALL members pay to be part of the group or have sponsors that finance the cost. This year's class paid a tuition of $2,000 per person. To many, the cost incurred is trivial in comparison to the episode ahead.

"I hope to use these experiences to make others aware of how important agriculture is in their lives and what role not only does Texas, but the rest of the world, play in agriculture," said Willms.

Class IX will begin TALL sessions mid-July in College Station, at the same location where the class will graduate in June 2006.

Other members of the TALL Class IX are:

- Jeff Camp of Wellington, owner and operator of Camp Farms, a producer of cotton, peanuts, sorghum, small grains and cattle;

- July Danley of Stephenville, executive director of TriCounty Agribusiness Association (Erath, Comanche and Hamilton counties);

- Richard De Los Santos of Austin, director of horticulture and forestry marketing, Texas Department of Agriculture;

- Steve Donnell of Canyon, vice president of Panhandle-Plains Federal Land Bank Association of Amarillo, a producer of commercial cattle and a stocker beef calf operator;

- Dr. Mike Fanning of Mansfield, executive vice president of Agrilogic Inc., agricultural risk management consultant;

- Jim Ed Field of Abilene, credit office president of First Ag Credit;

- Marc Hartzendorf of Sinton, manager of Hartzendorf Gin and a producer of cotton and corn and owner of a land leveling business;

- Philip J. Jensen of Bullard, owner of Red Rock Ranch, a producer of registered Angus cattle, and an investor in oil, gas and land;

- Tuffy Loftin of Centerville, cattle manager of Champion Ranch, a commercial and registered cattle operation;

- Dr. Charles Looney of Bryan, president and owner of OvaGenix LP, a bio-technical company specializing in beef cattle breeding using embryo transfer technology;

- Robert S. Mayer of Sonora, manager and CEO of Arroyo Grande Ranch Co., producer of sheep, cattle, horses and goats as well as a consultant for exotic and wildlife management;

- Rachel Myers of Claude, executive assistant at Texas Wheat Producers Board and partner in the family wheat, hay and commercial cattle operation;

- Dean Nelson of Bellville, president and owner of Nelson Plant Food and board member of the Southeast Texas Nursery Growers Association;

- Eric Opiela of Karnes City, attorney and partner of Rancho Grande Trust and a producer of commercial cattle;

- Jim Phillips of Tyler, executive vice president and chief credit officer at Heritage Land Bank for production loans, farm/ranch and real estate loans, agriculture equipment leasing;

- Travis Reynolds of Franklin, commercial coordinator for M&M Farm Supply for sales and management of Purnia Feeds, fertilizers and chemicals;

- John Smith of Caldwell, loan review officer for Citizens State Bank of Somerville and a producer of commercial and purebred cattle and hay;

- Danny Sosebee of McAllen, southwest area sales manager for Netafim USA water irrigation systems;

- Trey Teaff of Quitman, chief financial officer of Wood County Electric Cooperative;

- Michael Tolbert of Tyler, real estate sales agent and owner and operator of Tolbert Ranch, a producer of registered Brangus cattle, bison and timber;

- Joshua Walker of Austin, warehouse examiner for the U. S. Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency, producer of commercial cattle and owner of a horse breeding and training facility;

- Nishi Whiteley of Austin, director of international marketing for the Texas Department of Agriculture; and

- Matt Williams of Lockney, chief of marketing for the Texas Department of Agriculture and owner and manager of JK Angus Farm/MJ Livestock, a producer of registered Angus cattle, wheat, milo, cotton and hay.