Advisors
Advisors include sustainability and cotton-growing experts.
Quinn is vice president of Cotton Operations and Risk Management for Frontier Spinning Mills, one of the world’s largest producers of spun yarns for the knitting and weaving industries. He previously served as Frontier’s President/CEO after working for 21 years with Carolinas Cotton Cooperative. He currently serves as a member of ICE Futures US’ Trading Member and Cotton Committee. A former participant in the National Cotton Council’s (NCC) Cotton Leadership Program, he is a former NCC vice president and serves on multiple NCC committees among them the Cotton Quality Task Force. Quinn holds a B.S. in Business Administration and Marketing from East Carolina University.
Since 2016, Marc Lewkowitz has served as president and chief executive officer of the Tempe, Ariz.-based promotional and marketing organization for the American Pima cotton growers. He began his career at a family-owned gin in Paraguay and has worked as a trader and manager for firms including ContiCotton, Merrill Lynch, Itochu Cotton and Anderson Clayton/Queensland Cotton. The business has taken him from posts in Paraguay to Australia, Mexico and the United States. Lewkowitz has served as an advisor to the National Cotton Council’s export promotions arm, Cotton Council International. A Toronto, Canada native, he is a graduate of the University of Western Ontario and the Memphis Cotton Exchange International Cotton School.
Deepika Mishra is a passionate, innovative, enthusiastic scientist with demonstrated ability to lead and collaborate worldwide in the development of novel life sciences technologies and techniques to enhance sustainable agriculture to have a true impact that addresses challenges of climate change. She works as a sustainability consultant for the National Cotton Council and Cotton Council International.
Pryor leads the company’s strategic initiatives including blockchain, commodities trading, track-ing, clearing and software development solutions for the agriculture industry. The Seam’s cloud-based platforms have facilitated the trading and management of tens of millions of cotton bales, millions of tons of peanuts and billions of dollars in trade management and settlements. Mark has been featured in The Wall Street Journal and other global news outlets for spearheading such initiatives as agriculture sustainability, traceability and transparency. He is a Forbes Technology Council member, an Agricenter International director, and an advisor to the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission. He also serves as a technology advisor for the American Cotton Shippers Association and the National Cotton Council.
Daystar is Cotton Incorporated’s vice president and chief sustainability officer. Previously, he was the assistant director at the Center for Sustain-ability at Duke University, where he collaborated on research projects spanning many of the university’s divisions. Daystar holds a Ph.D. in Forest Biomaterials from North Carolina State University and has established himself as a leader in cellulosic fiber sustainability. He has led research and consulting in aspects of product sustainability, biomaterials, biochemicals, and bioenergy. His research has produced numerous publications, sustainability and chemical and engineering tools; and certifications for clients including the USDA and the Department of Energy.
Jordan assists clients in developing agricultural research policy/priorities and in their assessment of sustainable agriculture and environmental and social responsibility plans. He is a charter member of the multi-stakeholder coalition–Field to Market-Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture Outcomes and a director for Agricenter International and Delta BioRenewables. He previously served as vice president, Technical Services for the National Cotton Council (NCC) and is an advisor to the NCC’s COTTON USA Sustainability Task Force. He earned a B.S. in Agricultural Engineering from the University of Georgia, and both a M.Sc. in Agricultural Engineering and a Ph.D. in Engineering from Clemson.
Bell is a 30+ year textile and apparel industry veteran who has overseen marketing, product development, innovation, business development and sustainability. He has 24 years in senior level positions at Gildan, one of the world’s largest vertically integrated manufacturers of textiles and apparel. The company’s vertical integration and entrepreneurial culture allowed Bell to develop a deep understanding of the U.S. cotton industry – from field to finished garments and the end-consumer. Having served as a special member of the National Cotton Council’s COTTON USA Sustainability Task Force, Bell has presented at several international conferences on subjects ranging from digitization and sustainability to U.S. cotton’s environmental efforts.
