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• Served as TCGA president in 2010.
• Served as TCGA secretary & vice president.
• Manager of Wall Co-op Gin in Wall, Texas.
• Raised on a farm in Ballinger, Texas.
• He and wife Donna have two daughters.
If Jerry Multer could have planned his year as Texas
Cotton Ginners’ Association president, it couldn’t
have gone any smoother. No controversial issues
confronted the organization, and the momentum continued
on numerous projects.
Multer, who has managed the Wall Co-op Gin in
Wall, Texas, for the past 16 years, made the transition
to the presidency after spending the previous two
years as secretary and vice president.
“Because there weren’t any serious issues in 2010,
we concentrated on the aggregation program, electrical
rates and internship programs,” he says.
Safety has always been a major priority in Multer’s
career as a ginner, and that’s why he took particular
satisfaction in attending all of the Texas Cotton
Ginners Trust programs last year. The Trust’s success
may be one of the main reasons for increased
statewide support for TCGA. That fact, coupled with
the efforts of staffer Kelley Green on environmental
and air quality issues, has solidified the organization.
“Between the Trust and our efforts on the regulatory
front with Kelley, I think our work continues to be significant,”
says Multer.
While the membership statistic continues to be
strong, it is worth noting again that TCGA h a s
achieved a 99 percent support level across the state.
That translates into about 234 out of 238 gins in Texas
being members of TCGA.
One of the ongoing success stories, according to
Multer, is how TCGA continues to monitor the
Environmental Protection Agency’s activities and be
prepared to minimize any impact on gins.
In 2009, TCGA president Keith Mixon’s tenure was
a bit different and was highlighted by a favorable ruling
from the Labor Department over how overtime
exemption is supposed to be interpreted. When
TCGA, through NCGA, hired noted labor attorney
Ann Margaret Pointer, it was able to present an
impressive case.
“We didn’t have to deal with anything quite that
big,” says Multer. “But we did have continuity with
our other ongoing projects.”
Any review of the 2010 season has to include the
dramatic price increase for cotton and the ramifications
for the Texas cotton industry. Multer is hoping
that the price surge won’t be a “flash in the pan” and
will continue for some time. Most economists believe
that the supply and demand fundamentals are in place
for strong cotton prices for at least two more years.
“If the price were to stay at these high levels, it
would certainly help our farmers and make it a lot better
for everyone,” says Multer. |
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