“One KFB” served as the 2023 theme

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The 2023 Kentucky Farm Bureau (KFB) Annual Meeting was held from November 29-December 3, with a capacity crowd of over 2,300 members from across the state.

A new leadership team was elected that included President Eddie Melton, of Webster County, First Vice President Shane Wiseman of Clark County, and Second Vice President Larry Clark, of Green County. Long-time president Mark Haney stepped away from his role after serving 15 years and now takes the role of Immediate Past President on the Board.    

During the four-day conference, members attended a variety of breakout and general session meetings. Voting delegates also adopted policy while the state Board of Directors passed priorities for the coming year.

There were five new members elected to the KFB Board of Directors this year including:

David Taylor of Pulaski County who will serve as a District 7 representative to the Board, Bettie Bean of McCracken County will serve on the Board as the Chair of the State Women’s Advisory Committee, Mackenzie Wright of Carroll County will serve on the Board as Chair of the KFB State Young Farmer Advisory Committee, Rob McClanahan of Pendleton County will serve on the Board as the Chair of the State Generation Bridge Core Leadership Committee, and James Runion of Henderson County will serve on the Board as the President of the Kentucky Farm Bureau Insurance Agents Association.

Returning Board Members are:

Brandon Davis of Anderson County; Sharon Furches of Calloway County; David McGlone of Carter County; Tim Goodlett of Casey County; Dr. Nancy Cox of Fayette County; Glenn Howell of Fulton County; Scott Barnes of Garrard County; Mark Kinsey of Grant County; Ricky Arnett of Green County; Ray Allan Mackey of Hardin County; Larry Thomas of Hardin County; Alex Barnett of Harrison County; Mitchel Logsdon of Hart County; Tyler Ferguson of Johnson County; Cloyce Hinkle of Knox County; Todd Brock of Laurel County; Joe Paul Mattingly of Marion County; Zack Ison of Mercer County; Scott Davis of Monroe County; Mary Kate Kordes of Muhlenberg County; PJ Milburn of Nelson County; Stewart Hughes of Scott County; Terry Lawson of Rockcastle County; Victor Rexroat of Russell County; and Tammy White of Union County.

The new Vice Chair of the Young Farmer Committee is Justin Imel of Greenup County, the new secretary is Erin Arnett of Green County, and the social media chair is Andrew Simpson of Madison County.

The new Vice Chair of the Generation Bridge Committee is Jed Clark of Graves County, and the new secretary is Katie Cecil Pedigo of Daviess County.

Elected as 1st Vice Chair of the State Women’s Advisory Committee was Jennifer Newby of Boyle County and elected as 2nd Vice Chair was Tammy Cashman of Breckinridge County.

Leadership team bios

Eddie Melton

Melton graduated from Murray State University in 1980 with a degree in agriculture. He has served on the organization’s executive committee for the past fifteen years.

Melton, a former president of Webster County Farm Bureau, is past chair of the KFB State Resolutions Committee and is President of the Board of Directors for the Kentucky Center for Agriculture & Rural Development. Additionally, he serves on the Board of Directors for Southern Farm Bureau Life Insurance Company.

Melton produces corn, soybeans, and beef cattle on his farming operation in Sebree, KY. He and his wife, Regina, have a daughter.

Shane Wiseman

Wiseman, a fourth-generation farmer producing beef cattle, hay, corn, soybeans, and wheat, is past president of Clark County Farm Bureau. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Eastern Kentucky University and earned a master’s degree and Rank I in agriculture education from the University of Kentucky. Wiseman taught agriculture for twenty-six years.

He is chair of the KFB Beef Cattle Advisory Committee and a member of the AFBF Agricultural Labor Issues Advisory Committee. Wiseman is also a member of the Clark County Soil Conservation Board and chair of the Agriculture Tourism Committee.

He and his wife, Stephanie, have three children, Marcus, Kaitlyn, and Carter..

Larry Clark

Clark farms in Green, Metcalfe, and Adair counties where he grows corn, beans, and tobacco and also raises beef cattle.

He currently serves as chair of the KFB Tobacco Advisory Committee, chair of the KFB Farm Labor Advisory Committee, and serves on the KFB Insurance Company Audit Committee.

Clark is a past president of the Green County Farm Bureau and is a past president of the Green County Cattlemen's Association. He and his wife, Sundown, have two children, Colton and Caton.

Editor’s note: Complete coverage of the KFB Annual Meeting, including a list of state and national priorities, state competition winners, and county recognitions will be featured in the February 2023 KFB News magazine’s Annual Meeting Special Edition, along with the American Farm Bureau Federation Convention coverage.