Cotton Incorporated announced the 2022 class of the Cotton Research and Promotion Hall of Fame. The program, now in its seventh year after a two-year hiatus, recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to the program or to the cotton industry in general.
The honorees will be formally inducted into the Cotton Research and Promotion Program Hall of Fame at the joint Cotton Incorporated/Cotton Board Annual Meeting this December in New Orleans.
The two honorees for the 2022 Cotton Research and Promotion Hall of Fame are Steve Verett (Texas) and Kenneth Hood (Mississippi).
The Cotton Research and Promotion Program was established in 1966 to expand the demand for Upland cotton and to increase profitability for both cotton growers and importers of cotton products.
“After two years, it is wonderful to once again be able to honor those who have helped shape and advance the modern cotton industry,” says Berrye Worsham, president and CEO of Cotton Incorporated. “The 2022 Hall of Fame inductees have been pioneers in the research and technology developments in the industry, providing crucial leadership roles and serving as advocates for the growers.”
The 2022 honorees of the Cotton Research and Promotion Program Hall of Fame were chosen from nominations made by Certified Producer and Importer Organizations and voted upon by the Chairman’s Committee of the Cotton Incorporated Board of Directors.
Steve Verett, a native of Crosby County, Texas, has firsthand knowledge of the challenges that face Texas cotton growers as a partner in his family’s farming operation. This has allowed him to be at the forefront of identifying issues and advocating for research to help cotton producers. Verett graduated from Texas Tech University and has held leadership positions with the Plains Cotton Growers, the National Cotton Council’s Cotton Leadership Program, the Texas Food and Fiber Commission, and the American Cotton Producers Farm Policy Task Force. He has had integral roles in the development of agricultural policy at various levels and has always been a strong supporter of producer-driven research activities. Working directly with producers as well as members of Congress, he helped develop farm bills and facilitate successful farm policies and research provisions, including returning cotton as a covered commodity under the 2014 farm bill legislation.
Kenneth Hood is a pioneer in precision agriculture technologies and was a vital part in the development of the boll weevil eradication program. A native of Mississippi, Mr. Hood has represented the industry at local, state, and national levels, serving on the Bolivar County Farm Bureau, the Southern Cotton Ginners Association, and the National Cotton Council of America among others. His accomplishments and leadership in the industry have also allowed him to be recognized with several distinctions including Cotton Farming’s Cotton Farmer of the Year, New York Cotton Exchange Cotton Marketer of the Year, and the Cotton Grower Magazine’s Cotton Achievement Award.
