Leadership has never been lacking in the Midsouth cotton industry, and that was especially evident at the end of the recent National Cotton Council annual meeting in Houston.

Following association elections, three national, volunteer cotton associations are now being led by Midsouth members.

Ted Schneider, a Lake Providence, La., cotton producer, is now the chairman of the National Cotton Council. To say that Ted is a leader is a little like saying that Ty Cobb hit a lot of baseballs.

Ted has been active in cotton for a while, chairing NCC's Committee for the Advancement of Cotton and the Sustainability Task Force, as well as the Budget Committee. He is past president of the Louisiana Cotton and Grain Association and chairman of the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol. He's also a pretty good farmer, growing about 3,600 acres of cotton, corn, soybeans, rice, wheat and grain sorghum on a sustainably conscience operation.

He's the right guy to have in place as the industry continues to address sustainability issues in the market.

Nathan Reed, a Marianna, Ark., cotton producer was elected chairman of the American Cotton Producers. Nathan has been active in NCC activities, as well as with the Agricultural Council of Arkansas.

Nathan returned to the farm after passing the Arkansas state bar exam and I don't think he's ever looked back. He's proud of his farming heritage and shares it with elected officials and representatives of brands and retailers, showing them his operation in Lee County.

Nathan's family was named the Arkansas Farm Family of the Year by the University of Arkansas Extension Service in 2015.

He seems to have a mind for strategy and a strong confidence to address the concerns of cotton producers.

George LaCour was elected to lead the National Cotton Ginners Association as the association's president. He is from Lettsworth, La., and farms about 5,000 acres in Pointe Coupee Parish where he is a founding board member of Tri-Parish Gin.

George is a graduate of NCC's Cotton Leadership Program and he was also in the Louisiana State Agricultural Leadership Program. He served as the president of the Southern cotton Ginners Association and has served as a director of NCC's export promotion arm, Cotton Council International.

In 2017 he was the chairman of the Cotton Board, the administrative arm of the Cotton Research and Promotion Program.

George knows how to lay it on the line and can directly approach issues for the cotton ginners.

I probably don't need to go into what makes a good leader here. Let me just say that through interactions with all three of these individuals, I think the organizations have made good choices. And, I think it's great that the cycle of leadership in the associations have led to this alignment.

At least they won't have to travel far if they need to confer.