The US Rice Producers Association board of directors recently selected Marcia Garcia to serve as president and CEO, replacing Dwight Roberts who is stepping down Aug. 1.
For the past five years, Garcia has served as chief operating officer, and for the past 10 years she served as director of the Rice Market & Technology Convention.
A graduate of the University of Houston with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a minor in marketing, entrepreneurship and Spanish, she is originally from South Texas where her family is involved in cattle and farming.
“Several years ago, Marcela assumed a number of leadership roles for the USRPA, and her extensive knowledge and rice trade relationships throughout the Western Hemisphere will serve our rice farmers extremely well,” Roberts said in a news release. “We have young, talented rice farmers coming onto our board of directors with our new generation of staff talent, USRPA is ready to lean into the future.”
After 23 years at the helm of USRPA, Roberts will serve in an advisory role beginning Aug. 1.
The USRPA board also elected new officers for 2021-2023. Alex Clark from Poplar Bluff, Missouri, was elected chairman. Neal Stoesser from Dayton, Texas, will serve as vice-chairman, and Dustin Watkins from Welsh, Louisiana, is the new secretary-treasurer.
In addition, the board thanked Dr. Thomas Wynn from Egypt, Texas, for his service to the association during the past two years. A partner in Coastal Rice & Futures Inc., he also a farmer, rancher and marketing analyist.