Graduate--University of Georgia, Athens, GA 1989--BBA in Finance

Worked for 5 years after college in the public and private sector, including stints in Washington, DC and Atlanta

Moved back to Douglas in 1994 to work in the family business. Built Coffee County Gin in Douglas in 1994 and Four Corners Gin in Meigs, GA in 1995

Married the former Sarah Moore of Savannah, GA in 1992, we have 2 children, Catherine--14 and in the 9th grade, Bo--12 and in the 7th grade

Involved in numerous business and civic groups and boards

Member St. Andrews Episcopal Church, Douglas, GA

Ronald C “Ron” Lee, Jr is an active partner in Lee Farms, a family farming operation with his father and two brothers, in Southwest Georgia that raises primarily cotton, but also peanuts, corn, wheat, pecans, pasture, and beef cattle. In addition, Ron is Vice-President and Manager of McCleskey Cotton Company, a cotton ginning, marketing, and warehousing operation based in Bronwood, Georgia that is also closely held.

A 1997 graduate of Georgia Southern University with a degree in Economics, he also completed the ACSA International Cotton Institute at Rhodes College in Memphis that same year. After stints with a small cotton merchandising company, a cotton packaging company, and as a commodities broker, Ron returned to the family businesses in 2001.

Helping his ginning customers maximize their profits via marketing opportunities is his primary focus and enjoyment, along with overseeing day to day operations of the ginning and warehousing operations. Ron lives in Dawson, Georgia with his wife, Kyla and daughter, Clara.

Mark Williams is the owner operator of MW Farms, Inc. and R&M Cattle partnership. This is a family farm operation growing corn, cotton, milo, green beans, and wheat and stocker cattle. The operation also includes custom silage harvesting, selling corn silage to local dairies and feed lots

Mark has a BS degree in Agricultural Economics from Texas Tech University and has 38 years of business experience in farming and cattle operations. Over his career he has been honored to receive the Gerald Thomas Outstanding Agriculturalist Award from Texas Tech University and Cotton Grower Magazine’s Outstanding Cotton Grower for 2010.

He has served many Board positions in the industry including:

Secretary of the Palmer County Co-op Gin
Member and Past President of the Palmer County Farm Bureau
Past President of the Plains Cotton Growers
Past Chairman of the American Cotton Producers of the National Cotton Council
Board Advisor of Cotton Council International
Board Chairman of the Northwest Plains Boll Weevil Eradication Zone
Vice-President of the Southwest Council of Agribusiness


Mr. Williams is also affiliated with the Texico-Farwell Rotary Club and is it’s Past President, and is a member of the First Baptist Church of Farwell, TX.

Mark is married to Joyce Williams, has three sons, Ryan, Reagan and Russell, and three grandchildren.

Derrel Johnson was raised and has spent his entire life in Briscoe and Motley County, 90 miles Northeast of Lubbock, Texas. The Johnson family had been in the cotton ginning business for many years, and Derrel spent much time working at the gin during harvest season. He started farming and ranching on his own while still in high school in the late 1970’s and married his wife Dixie in 1983. They moved to Silverton, Texas in 1986 to work with his father Rex Johnson in the family owned cotton gin established in 1984. Derrel and Dixie have two sons; Ory 23 years old and Shawn 20.

Derrel has been in the crop consulting, cotton ginning, and farming industry for over 25 years now. He handles the cotton marketing for Johnson’s Gin Company as well as helping with the gin operations and running a personal farming business. The cotton industry has now been a way of life for the Johnson family for more than three generations.

Rob is a native and current resident of Scotland Neck, North Carolina. He graduated from Atlantic Christian College. He is President of Edwards Cotton Company, Inc., managing Partner in 2 farming operations, past board member of CCA, past delegate to the NCC, past President of The Southern-Southeastern Cotton Association. He is also the Board Chairman of Bryan Health and Rehabilitation of Scotland Neck.

Rob is also a member of the Scotland Neck United Methodist Church. He is married to Tennessee Denton-Bowling of Spring Hope, North Carolina. and he has 3 daughters and 8 grandchildren.

Troy Bippert, a third generation farmer, has been farming in the winter garden area of Texas for thirty years. On a mix of dryland and irrigated acres, we grow cotton, corn, wheat, oats, and sunflowers. Troy is an owner operator of BBN Farms Inc. and JEH Farms partnership and participates annually in Monsanto's NPE Program. He is a supporter of the local FFA and 4-H.

He married his wife Michele, a school teacher, in 1991. Their daughter Jenna is currently attending UTSA and will graduate this December with a degree in political science. She hopes to begin attending law school in the fall of 2016.

In his spare time, Troy enjoys hunting and spending time with his family.