The National Cotton Ginners Association elected its officers for 2007 at its recent annual meeting in Austin, Texas. The officers include: president, Van Murphy, Quitman, Ga.; first vice president, Chris Breedlove, Olton, Texas; second vice president, Sledge Taylor, Como, Miss.; third vice president, Kirk Gilkey, Corcoran, Calif.; and chairman, Russell Kuhnhenn, Buckeye, Ariz.

In addition, Rick Holder is the 2006 Horace Hayden National Cotton Ginner of the Year recipient. Holder is president of Harvey Fertilizer & Gas Company, a company consisting of four cotton gins that ginned 120,328 bales in 2006 and which includes 10 fertilizer outlets and six propane outlets. He's also involved in the company's farming operations and John Deere dealership operations.

Holder has been an active member of his state and regional grower/gin associations. He currently serves as chairman of the North Carolina Golden L.E.A.F. Foundation, treasurer of Southeastern Cotton Ginners Association, director of the North Carolina Cotton Producers Association and treasurer of Southeastern Growers Association. He also is a member of the North Carolina Agricultural Finance Authority and a director of Beltwide Cotton Cooperative.

Holder served as NCGA president in 2003-04.

He continues to serve the U.S. cotton industry on a national level as a member of several key industry committees including the National Cotton Council's Cotton Flow Committee and Farm Policy Development Task Force. The North Carolina native is a 1972 graduate of the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

The recipient of the NCGA's 2006-07 Distinguished Service Award is Kelley Green, who has served as director of technical services for the Texas Cotton Ginners Association since 1991. He began his professional career in 1986 as a field engineer with Western Cotton Services based in Fresno, Calif. He later served in an engineering position with Samuel Jackson Manufacturing in Lubbock, Texas.