The USA Rice Millers’ Association has announced that Bobby Hanks, CEO, Louisiana Rice Mill, and Mark Denman, VP sales, RiceTec Inc., were elected the new chairman and vice chairman respectively during the RMA Convention held recently in Amelia Island, Fla.

Each will serve a two-year term.

During a speech at the convention, outgoing chairman Mike Sandrock, president & CEO of Farmers’ Rice Cooperative, said, “I have enjoyed my tenure as chairman and would like to thank the RMA board for the opportunity. I now turn the reins over to Bobby.”

Chairman Hanks presented a plaque to Sandrock in recognition of his service as chairman and thanked him for his leadership. “You have served the industry well during your time in office and we thank you for your dedication,” Hanks said.

“I look forward to serving as RMA’s chairman and will do all I can to ensure that the industry is well represented,” said Hanks.

Hanks has been CEO of Louisiana Rice Mill for 10 years and is the outgoing RMA vice chairman. He has served as a member of the board of directors for the USA Rice Council, the USA Rice Millers’ Association and the USA Rice Federation. He has also served as chairman of the USA Rice Federation Western Hemisphere Promotion Subcommittee and as a member of the USA Rice Domestic Promotion and Government Affairs Committees.

Denman, a native of Stuttgart, Ark., has been in the rice business for more than 30 years, 24 of them with RiceTec Inc. He has served as a member of the USA Rice Council board of directors, the USA Rice Federation Domestic Promotion Committee and he is chairman of the USA Rice Federation’s Domestic Promotion Retail Subcommittee.