Agricultural News
American Farmers and Ranchers Restructures and Welcomes New Employees
Fri, 08 Jul 2011 16:32:56 CDT
The Farm and Cooperative Organization component of American Farmers & Ranchers, Oklahoma Farmers Union, has recently made changes to the organization structure to streamline operations for management and operation efficiencies.
AFR President Terry Detrick, Ames, continues as the spokesperson and representative of the organization for major activities and functions. Day-to-day operations of the farm organization are now managed by 16-year employee Paul Jackson, Ringling, who has previously worked in management, membership development, legislative and outreach activities for the association. This move will free up Detrick to focus on representing the organization and conducting board activities.
Joining the AFR cooperative team on June 1 was Steve Thompson as Policy and Membership Development coordinator. Steve was raised in the rural Lincoln County town of Carney, on a small cattle and hay operation his family settled during the land run of 1891. After graduating from Carney High School in 1995, he attended Oklahoma State University majoring in agricultural education with a minor in agricultural economics. While at Oklahoma State, Steve served as legislative intern for Oklahoma Farmers Union in 1999 and in the same capacity for the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food & Forestry in 2000 and 2001.
He assumed the position of Legislative Liaison for the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food & Forestry in 2002 and was designated as the Associate Commissioner of Agriculture in 2007. In February 2011, Steve left public service to start Thompson Consulting, a lobbying firm which represented a variety of agriculture organizations and agribusinesses at the Oklahoma State Capitol. Following the 2011 legislative session, he joined the AFR staff to advise on policy issues as well as cultivate grassroots membership involvement. Steve received the Oklahoma Cattlemen's Association Distinguished Service Award in 2007 and is a 2008 graduate of the Governor's Executive Development Program. He has been an American Farmers & Ranchers member for 18 years and his parents, Robert and Debi Thompson, have been American Farmers & Ranchers agents in Lincoln County for the past 26 years. He lives in Yukon with his wife, Jana Steelman, and son Will, 7.
Natasha Rodgers is the new Public and Media Relations staff member. Rodgers started the position in June 2011. Rodgers grew up on a swine, wheat, cotton, and cattle farm in southwest Oklahoma, but moved with her family to Tecumseh, Okla. in 2003.
Rodgers graduated from Oklahoma State University in May 2011 with a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Communications with a minor in Agricultural Economics. While a student at OSU, Rodgers was involved in Collegiate FFA, Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow and other activities within her department. Along with helping construct, she also served as Co-Sponsorship Coordinator of her department's magazine, Cowboy Journal, which serves as a recruiting piece for the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources. Her experience is in writing publications, photography, media relations and graphic design.
Rodgers has utilized her skills at the United Way of Pottawatomie County, in Shawnee, Okla. as the Special Projects Coordinator, and at the Oklahoma Department of Career Technology and Education Center in Stillwater, Okla. as a Clerk and Course Developer, prior to coming on board with AFR.
Rodgers resides in Tecumseh with her husband, Corey, of three years, and their seven-month-old daughter, Kreightyn.
Bobby Green continues as Secretary/Treasurer and Farmers & Ranchers Life Manager; Marilyn Sanders as Administrative Assistant to the Secretary/Treasurer; Micki Grossman as Administrative Assistant to the President and Farm and Cooperative Programs Director, and Lin Fariss, as Youth and Education Coordinator. Tommy Thomas also continues as AFR's cooperative and mutual insurance contract lobbyist at the state capitol. Pete McDaniel, Apache; James Campbell, Idabel; and A.J. Bristow, Blocker remain as field and outreach representatives.
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