TPPB Swears in Recently Elected Directors and Elects New Officers

The Texas Peanut Producers Board (TPPB) swore in five board directors and elected new officers at its meeting April 7 in Lubbock, Texas.

TPPB held statewide elections in January for three seats in voting Region One and one At Large seat. The voting regions are designed for 10 of the 12 TPPB board seats to represent a percentage of peanut production in Texas as reported by the Texas Crop Reporting Service, with the remaining two seats being at large and representing the entire state.

Otis Lee Johnson of Seminole and Haldon Messamore of Sudan were re-elected to their seats in voting Region One, while Jeff Roper of Plains was elected to serve his first term as TPPB director for this region. Winning the at large seat was Luther Don Keith of Dublin. Each person will serve a six year term, or until the year 2016.

Additionally, Ted Higginbottom of Seminole was elected by the board to fill the unexpired term of Chuck Rowland who stepped down from TPPB earlier this year. Higginbottom previously served on the board for 31 years.

“We are glad to have these producers on the board,” TPPB Executive Director Shelly Nutt said. “The research and programs sponsored by the Texas Peanut Producers Board are vital to ensuring the future success of the peanut industry in our state.”

The five board directors were sworn in by Lance Williams with the Texas Department of Agriculture.

Following the initiation of these positions, new officers were named by TPPB. Larry Don Womack of De Leon is the new chairman, Haldon Messamore of Sudan will serve as vice chairman, and Otis Lee Johnson was selected as the secretary/treasurer.