Richard L. (Ricky) Clarke III, a merchant from Cordova, Tennessee, will serve as president of Cotton Council International (CCI) for 2020. CCI is the National Cotton Council’s export promotion arm and carries out programs in more than 50 countries under the COTTON USA trademark.
Clarke, who moves up from CCI first vice president, succeeds Hank Reichle, a cooperative official from Greenwood, Mississippi, who becomes CCI board chairman. Clarke, Reichle and other CCI officers were elected at CCI’s board meeting during the NCC’s 2020 Annual Meeting, Feb. 14-16, in New Orleans.
“I look forward to leading CCI in its mission of making U.S. cotton ‘The Cotton The World Trusts’ for mills, manufacturers, brands, retailers and consumers worldwide,” Clarke says.
He is vice president/senior merchant for Cargill Cotton, Business Unit of Cargill Inc. His current merchandising responsibilities include sales to several Asian markets.
Clarke, who was raised in Green-wood, Mississippi, graduated from Mississippi State University in 1980 and earned a Master of Business Administration from Memphis State University in 1987.
He started with Cargill’s Cotton Business Unit (Hohenberg Bros. Co.) in 1980 and has worked for Cargill Cotton in various merchandising capacities. Those include managing the Phoenix office, merchandising all of the major U.S. growth regions and working a stint with Cargill Cotton’s Liverpool office.
Clarke is active with the NCC and is an American Cotton Shippers Association director. He is married to Terri Clarke and has four children and two grandsons.
Other 2020 CCI officers elected include: first vice president, Ted Sheely, producer, Lemoore, California; second vice president, Carlos C. Garcia, cooperative official, Lubbock, Texas; and treasurer, Steven Dyer, merchant, Cordova. Gary Adams, Cordova, was elected secretary and Bruce Atherley, Washington, D.C., elected assistant secretary.
Elected as 2020 CCI directors were: George G. LaCour Jr., a ginner from Morganza, Louisiana; John C. King III, a merchant from Helena, Arkansas.; Neal Isbell, a producer from Muscle Shoals, Alabama; and John F. Lindamood, a producer from Tiptonville, Tennessee.
Re-elected as 2020 CCI directors were: PRODUCERS – J. Lee Cromley, Brooklet, Georgia.; Richard Gaona, Roby, Texas; Craig A. Heinrich, Lubbock; Matthew R. (Matt) Hyneman, Jonesboro, Arkansas; and Paul (Paco) Ollerton, Casa Grande, Arizona; GINNERS – Curtis H. Stewart, Spade, Texas; MERCHANTS – Philip R. (Phil) Bogel II, Dallas; Tim G. North, Dallas; Ernst D. (Ernie) Schroeder Jr., Bakersfield, California; and William Barksdale, Cordova.
COOPERATIVES – Frederick Barrier, Greenwood; Carlo Bocardo, Bakersfield; Donald Robinson, Garner, North Carolina; COTTONSEED – James C. Massey, Harlingen, Texas; WAREHOUSEMAN – Vance C. Shoaf, Milan, Tennessee; and MANUFACTURERS – Robin Perkins, Sanford, North Carolina; and Davis Warlick, Charlotte, North Carolina.
The National Cotton Council contributed this article.