Grassroot Leaders Elected to Federation State Board

By Maggie Edwards

The Alabama Farmers Federation made history Dec. 8 when farmer-delegates elected the organization's first female officer to its state board while honoring a longtime vice president.

As Southwest Area vice president, Hope Cassebaum of Baldwin County will also serve on the Alfa Insurance state board. She replaces Jake Harper of Wilcox County, who served 32 cumulative years on the board and could not seek reelection due to term limits.

"Thank you for allowing me this opportunity," Cassebaum said to 479 delegates during the 104th annual meeting business session in Montgomery. "I am very excited about this, representing the Southwest Area. Coming behind Jake, I have big shoes to fill."

Cassebaum, a row crop, cattle and specialty crop farmer, will now serve an area that includes Baldwin, Butler, Choctaw, Clarke, Conecuh, Dallas, Escambia, Hale, Lowndes, Marengo, Mobile, Monroe, Montgomery, Perry, Sumter, Washington and Wilcox counties.

Elected as Central Area vice president was Calhoun County's Jon Hegeman. He will continue serving Autauga, Bibb, Calhoun, Chilton, Clay, Cleburne, Fayette, Greene, Jefferson, Lamar, Pickens, Randolph, Shelby, St. Clair, Talladega, Tuscaloosa and Walker counties in his fourth term. Hegeman is a greenhouse owner.

Delegates also selected four farmers to three-year terms as district directors.

Charles Butler of Madison County was chosen to serve District 2, which includes Limestone, Madison and Morgan counties. Butler is a row crop farmer and replaces board member Jeff Peek of Limestone County.

Lamar County's Will Gilmer will serve District 5, replacing Tuscaloosa County's Joe Anders. Gilmer is a cattle and hay producer whose district covers Bibb, Fayette, Jefferson, Lamar and Tuscaloosa counties.

Serving District 8 will be Pickens County's Stewart Koon. Koon, a poultry and cattle farmer, will serve Choctaw, Dallas, Greene, Hale, Marengo, Perry, Pickens and Sumter counties and replaces Hale County's Tommy Martin.

Baldwin County's Mark Kaiser was reelected to serve District 11, which includes Baldwin, Clarke, Conecuh, Escambia, Mobile, Monroe and Washington counties.

Meanwhile, Conecuh County's Steve Dunn was chosen to serve his 14th two-year term as secretary-treasurer. Dunn is a row crop and cattle farmer and covers all 67 counties.

Additionally, Cullman County's Lisa Lake and Morgan County's Forrest Anders will serve one-year, ex-officio terms on the state board. The two were elected chairs of the State Women's Leadership Committee and State Young Farmers Committee, respectively.