Staff
Program staff includes representatives from all U.S. cotton industry entities, including Cotton Incorporated, Cotton Council International and the National Cotton Council.
Program staff includes representatives from all U.S. cotton industry entities, including Cotton Incorporated, Cotton Council International and the National Cotton Council.
Gary Adams assumed the position of President and Chief Executive Officer of the National Cotton Council in February 2015. He plays a key role in guiding the industry’s seven segments to reach consensus on critical policies affecting U.S. cotton, with the mission of helping all U.S. cotton industry segments compete effectively and profitably in global markets.
Prior to that, Gary served the Council for 13 years as the Vice President of Economic and Policy Analysis. As the Council’s chief economist, he provided economic outlooks for global cotton markets, as well as analyzing the impacts of farm and trade policies.
Gary also represents the U.S. cotton industry as a member of USDA’s Agricultural Policy Advisory Committee. Previously, Gary served on USDA’s Advisory Committee on Trade from 2005 through 2011 and the NASS Advisory Committee on Agricultural Statistics from 2003 through 2009.
Prior to joining the Council, Gary was a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Agricultural Economics at the University of Missouri. During his 13-year tenure at the university, Gary’s primary responsibilities included policy analysis and market outlook for the Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute, also known as FAPRI. While at FAPRI, Gary and his colleagues were recognized by the American Agricultural Economics Association for their distinguished policy contributions.
Gary has B.S. and M.A. degrees in Applied Mathematics from the University of Alabama and a Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics from the University of Missouri. Gary and his wife, Carol, have four children.
Marjory Walker is an experienced Vice President of Operations working to coordinate staff, activities and programs for industry trade association. She is the Director of Operations for U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol and works with all segments of the cotton supply chain, including launching the industry’s sustainability initiative in 2020. She has demonstrated history of working in the international trade and development industry.
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.
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.
