Professionals Working in Kentucky Agriculture
Grain Inspector
Carrie knew that she wanted to work in agriculture, specifically for the government. Her family raised beef cattle in Russell Springs, and many of her family members were in the armed forces. Both of those aspects paved the way for her career.
Executive Director
Sheldon McKinney is the Executive Director of the Kentucky FFA Foundation and has held the position for the past eleven years. She says working in Kentucky agriculture has been her dream job and that she found her place after she became a member of her local FFA chapter.
Executive Director
Laura Knoth is the Executive Director for the Kentucky Corn Growers and the Kentucky Small Grain Growers and has held this position since 2010. Prior to that, Laura served as Public Affairs and Program Director at the Kentucky Farm Bureau from 1991-2010.
Member Programs
Adam has been KyCorn’s program director for 11 years, where he manages the association’s membership, market development, and farmer leadership programs. He also organizes and mobilizes KyCorn’s grassroots base, which means he encourages farmer members to get involved in policy issues and public affairs.
Director of Operations & Policy
Few people share the extreme passion and openness that Nikki Whitaker has displayed in her time with the Kentucky Cattlemen's Association. Going on 18 years with KCA, For 17 years, Nikki served as the Membership Coordinator, where she oversaw all aspects of membership services, including being a liaison between the state office and 99 county chapter affiliates.
Food Safety Systems
After completing an associate’s degree in Fashion Merchandising, Tina started her bachelor’s degree in agriculture education at UK, which required concentrations in plant science, agriculture economics, animal science, and meat science. Once she graduated, she ended up at North Carolina State University to earn her Master of Science in agriculture education.