Steve M. Brown is a 1978 graduate in agronomy and soils from Auburn University and later earned MS and PhD degrees in agronomy/weed science at Auburn and Texas A&M, respectively. He worked as an assistant county agent in a cotton pest management role for a couple of years in northern Alabama and then served as a research associate in a Cotton Incorporated-funded project on no-till cotton from 1980 to 1984. From 1987 until 2008, he served as an Extension weed scientist and cotton agronomist for the University of Georgia in Tifton. He worked for a major seed and biotechnology company from 2008 until 2019, when he joined the faculty at Auburn. His entire career has focused on cotton.
O. A. Cleveland is professor emeritus in the Department of Agricultural Economics at Mississippi State University. He received his PhD from Oklahoma State University and has over 50 years experience in the industry. Honors and Awards include, President's Intern- New York Cotton Exchange, Board of Directors- New York Cotton Exchange and National Cotton Council- Cotton Educator of the Year.
John Robinson is a professor and Extension specialist for cotton marketing in the Agricultural Economics Department of Texas A&M University. His educational programming emphasizes risk management issues related to cotton, including cash markets, hedging, contracting, insurance, and policy issues.
Don Shurley is professor emeritus in the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics at the University of Georgia, Tifton. He is widely recognized as one of the nation's leading cotton economists. Over the years, Shurley has also been a source of timely analysis provided to industry leaders and legislators on many policy issues. His work has been instrumental in the passage of government policies beneficial to Georgia cotton farmers.
