CROWLEY-Selected as the Honoree for the 2012 International Rice Festival is Randy Jemison of Kinder, announced by Brady Williams, festival president. This year’s festival is slated for the weekend of October 19-21, 2012 in downtown Crowley.

Jemison is the Director of Louisiana Field Services for the USA Rice Federation, the national trade association representing rice producers, millers, merchants and allied businesses.

He joined the USA Rice staff in 2001, opening the first LA-based office for the Federation. He serves as liaison between the grassroots membership and the organization – increasing two-way communication between members and staff on USA Rice services, program goals and accomplishments, current and future policies and other critical issues. 

Randy provides administrative services for the Louisiana Rice Council Board and assists with administrative responsibilities for the Louisiana Rice Growers Association and the LA Rice Producers’ Group. He also represents USA Rice at grower meetings and other industry and public events.

Randy has a background in rice farming and therefore has a firsthand appreciation for the day-to-day concerns of rice producers as well as the critical relationships between all segments of the U.S. rice industry.

As a rice farmer prior to joining USA Rice he was active in parish, state, and national rice organizations including chairman of the Louisiana Farm Bureau Rice Advisory Committee, member of the Louisiana Rice Producers’ Group, serving by appointment of Louisiana Governor Mike Foster to the Louisiana Rice Research Board, and as an elected member of the USA Rice Council Board. Prior to his career as a rice grower Jemison owned a property and casualty insurance agency and was a crop insurance underwriter for USDA.

Jemison holds a Master of Science degree from Louisiana State University and a Bachelor of Science degree from McNeese State University.

He currently resides with his wife, Mary, of 36 years in Kinder, where he is active in civic organizations and his church. He has two children and two grandchildren.

Randy considers working with state and national rice-industry stakeholders a privilege and an honor and recognizes all industry accomplishments are directly attributable to the men and women who volunteer their service on industry organizations.