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Charles Randall (Randy) Nuckolls was presented the 2005 Award of Excellence at the CAES Alumni Banquet in September 2005. Randy is the managing partner of the law firm McKenna, Long, & Aldridge in Washington, D.C. He began his career working on Capitol Hill as a legislative counsel for Georgia Senator Herman Talmadge and subsequently spent six years as chief counsel and legislative director for Georgia Senator Sam Nunn, directing the activities of the senator's ten-person legislative staff. He has twenty-seven years of experience in Washington, dealing with federal issues in public policy. Since 1986, Randy has been in private practice, counseling clients on government contracts and federal legislative and regulatory matters. His work involves assisting clients in planning legislative strategy, testimony before congressional and agency panels, interaction with congressional leaders and their staff, and organizing and administering political action committees (PACs). He counsels clients in all phases of the federal procurement process and regulatory matters before various federal agencies, including the Federal Trade Commission, the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Education, Treasury, and Defense, and the General Services Administration. Much of Randy's work concentrates on assisting higher education institutions and organizations in pursuing their federal affairs agenda. He also has particular expertise in agriculture, environment and natural resource policy issues, and serves as general counsel or Washington counsel for a number of corporations, trade associations and non-profit organizations. In addition, he works as Washington counsel to the University of Georgia.

Randy is on the Board of Directors of the State Bar of Georgia, past chairman and on the Executive Committee of the Society of International Business Fellows, and on the board of the Georgia Agribusiness Council. Also, he participated in Leadership Georgia and received the Blue Key Young Alumni Award. His greatest accomplishments since graduation have been working as chief counsel to two United States senators, his active involvement in numerous civic and professional societies in leadership roles, and becoming the managing partner in his law firm.

Randy received a B.S.A in Agricultural Economics in 1974 and a J.D. in 1977, both from the University of Georgia. While in college, he was a member of the Student Senate, president of Collegiate 4-H, vice president of the Ag Hill Council, president of AGHON, president of Blue Key, vice president of the Student Bar Association, a member of ODK and served as an intern at the Georgia General Assembly. He received a Blue Key scholarship and various College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences scholarships. In 1975, he was selected as the Outstanding Senior in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and was winner of the Best Brief in the law school's Talmadge Writing Competition. Randy's active involvement in various campus organizations prepared him for his work in congress and his involvement in civic and professional organizations in his adult career. He gives this advice to current students in the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics: "Sample courses in various schools and colleges. Get involved in student organizations. Study abroad to better prepare yourself for the global economy."

Randy is engaged in numerous community and civic organizations. He is past chairman and a board member of the Georgia 4-H Foundation, past president and board member of the Georgia State Society, board member and legal counsel for Keep D.C. Beautiful, past president of the University of Georgia Law School Council, on the Advisory Board of the University of Georgia Honors Program, on the Alumni Advisory Board of the Dean Rusk Center for International, Comparative and Graduate Legal Studies, on the President's Advisory Council for the Wesley Theological Seminary, on the Business Advisory Council for Very Special Arts, president of the Society of International Business Fellows, a member of the UGA Alumni Board, and a member of the Georgia Agribusiness Council Board. In addition, he is chair of the board of the Fairlington United Methodist Church. In his leisure time, Randy enjoys golf and racquetball.

John R. Hayes was presented the Young Alumni Achievement Award at the CAES Alumni Banquet in September 2005. He is currently the general manager and partner of Lasseter Implement Company in Hazelhurst, Georgia. After earning his master's degree, John began working for John Deere in the company's highest volume Southeastern sales district where he increased sales of aftermarket parts by 15%. In recognition for this success and other accomplishments, he was honored with the 2000 John Deere Leader's Circle Award which is presented to top territory field teams with the company. After successfully managing an aftermarket sales district in Mississippi and working in the company's Des Moines manufacturing facility, John was given the responsibility of managing a sales territory in the West Texas district with the highest market share of any district in the country. His superiors found him to be highly motivated, dedicated and displaying a strong work ethic. John returned to Statesboro, Georgia where he managed another sales territory for John Deere for a time.

John graduated from the University of Georgia with a B.S.A. in Environmental Economics and Management in 1995 and an M.S. in Agricultural Economics in 1997. While in college, he received 1st Place Honors, Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics Undergraduate Papers Competition in 1994, 4th Place Honors, American Agricultural Economics Student Papers Competition in 1994, and published in the American Journal of Agricultural Economics Student Papers. He was on the President's List, the Dean's List, vice president of the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics Graduate Student Association, a member of Blue Key National Honor Fraternity, a member of Gamma Sigma Delta National Agricultural Honor Society, a member of Georgia Agribusiness Council, and a member of the student section of the American Agricultural Economics Association. John's master's thesis analyzed the use of power plant by-products as a source of farm nutrients. Careful in his application of common-sense economics, John's thesis demonstrated that the combination of the cheapness of available disposal and the large supply of these by-products made it unlikely that such an endeavor was likely to be immediately profitable for Georgia's electric utilities. Also, his work clearly pointed out how plausible changes in future environmental regulations could significantly alter the results of his analysis.

As part of his graduate research project, John made several presentations to update his sponsoring company. The public speaking and presentation skills John acquired by giving these updates have been greatly beneficial in his professional career. He suggests, "Learning how to speak to a group and present your thoughts clearly and concisely will help you in any situation, whether it's in a courtroom, cotton field or boardroom." John also advises current students in the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics to "do an internship of some kind." Although John did not participate in the internship program while in college, his experience in working with summer interns since graduation has convinced him that "the benefits are enormous in terms of gaining experience and getting a foot in the door for future employment." John was also impressed by the reception extended to the interns during his employment with John Deere..

In his leisure time, John enjoys golf, scuba diving, fishing, and softball.

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Marie Truesdell was presented the CAES Alumni Association’s 2005 Young Alumni Achievement Award. As Chair of the Department of Business at Marian College in Indianapolis, Indiana, Marie teaches two economics courses per semester, recruits economics majors, and performs all the duties of the department chair. The department encompasses accounting, finance, economics, management, marketing, management information systems and has eight full-time faculty and ten adjunct faculty. Marie was hired by Marian College to start an economics program. She was able to create the program, including the courses offered and recruit a viable number of students in three semesters. In addition, she was promoted to department head after only three years at the college. She led a team of faculty to bring a grant of $750,000 from the Lilly Foundation to start a new program in entrepreneurship.

Marie received a B.S. in Mathematics and B.A. in Economics from Trinity University in 1992, an M.E. from North Carolina State University in 1994, and a Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics from the University of Georgia in 1999. During her college career, Marie always asked for extra teaching assignments to gain the experience necessary to be a great teacher and leader. She also took on extra projects to gain additional experience in research as well as professional communication. She asked advice from those she respected and attempted to heed that advice, realizing that those with more experience have much to offer those starting out. Marie credits these actions with aiding in her professional success.

Marie has this advice for current students in the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics, “I would suggest students become much more involved in the college and in their departments. Ask your advisors for advice and look to gain many different experiences. They not only teach you valuable skills, but they help you truly discern your goals.”

In her leisure time, Marie volunteers at the humane society and is a member of an organization that provides volunteers for most events in Indianapolis. She enjoys snow skiing, reading and vacationing overseas.

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Bella Ableyeva recently opened a new international office for the USA Poultry & Egg Export Council (USAPEEC) to serve the Ukraine, Moldova and Central Asia. The Council is a trade association of the U.S. poultry and egg industry that is dedicated to increasing exports of U.S. poultry and eggs worldwide. USAPEEC members account for more than 90 percent of all poultry and egg exports. Members include nearly all major U.S. poultry and egg producing and processing companies, as well as many international trading firms.

Each year, Bella participates in trade shows and conducts trade seminars in six different countries to promote U.S. poultry exports. She works closely with U.S. embassies and USDA Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) offices in the region. She is also involved in public relations, helping U.S. exporters successfully overcome the many hindrances to international trade such as sanitary and phytosanitary measures. Whenever a shipload of poultry products is prevented from unloading in Ukraine, Moldova and/or Central Asia, Bella moves into action to help remedy the situation and keep the products moving.

Previously employed by USAPEEC, Bella had guided inspectors from the Russian Federation through more than 70 processing plants and storage facilities in the U.S. to certify these facilities for exporting poultry products. Her employment with USAPEEC is a direct result of her master’s thesis research which focused on trade disputes in poultry between Russia and the U.S. Bella received an M.S. degree in Agricultural Economics from the University of Georgia in 2001.

Peter O. Kurz

Peter Kurz is a Minister/Counselor for Agricultural Affairs for the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) in Washington, D.C. He has represented the U.S. government at embassies in Germany, Singapore, Thailand, and the United Kingdom. During the time of his service with the USDA, he has been engaged in negotiations with governments of these countries involving trade policy, including the WTO, reform of the European Union’s Common Agricultural Policy, and the U.S. Farm Bill. In addition, he has been involved with technical issues, including various phytosanitary and veterinary barriers to trade, as well as protectionism. Peter has helped U.S. exporters gain access to new markets for their products and introduce new products to existing markets and has had the opportunity to become friends with many people whose work and activities have proved to be of immense value to American agriculture. These have included buyers of U.S. commodities, foreign government servants facilitating entry of products into countries, and U.S. exporters.

Peter received a B.A. in European History from the University of Chicago in 1971, a Masters in International Affairs from Columbia University in 1976, and an M.S. in Agricultural Economics from the University of Georgia in 1978. During his educational pursuits, he tried to use the opportunity to broaden his mind. Peter has this advice for current students in the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics: “Try to spend as much time getting to know foreign students as you can. UGA has always been a leader in bringing foreign students to the U.S. This pays off not only because these students return home familiar with U.S. products and methods, but because they bring the world to the university’s doorstep, which enables our students to get a head start living and working in a global economy. Tassos Haniotis received a degree from the Department and went on to become a major player involved in European agricultural reform. This means that UGA played a part in one of the most significant developments in world agriculture – the reform of Europe’s Common Agricultural Policy – to take place in the latter part of the 20th century. Also, students should make use of the Department’s greatest resource – it’s faculty. Steve Brannen took a chance on me and gave me a shot at getting a degree. Glenn Ames helped me to focus my interest and introduced me to international agriculture. All of the faculty were extremely generous with their time. In my mind, anyone studying at the Department has a wealth of human resources at hand – faculty and fellow students – with which to begin an exciting career.”

In Peter’s observations, Americans involved in agriculture actually have a much more cosmopolitan outlook on the world than many of their fellow citizens, because global markets have been of critical importance to farmers and ranchers for many years. His work with the USDA has been a great experience. He remarks, “Having spent 17 of the last 23 years abroad, I have had a wonderful time indulging my interest in travel, photography, and of course, the foods of the world. Our family has visited some of the remotest jungles on the globe, and routinely has gone to some of the world’s greatest museums and an untold number of fabulous restaurants. I have visited villages in remote Burma with no electricity, where water buffalo are used for ploughing and oxen for threshing, and where elephants are to be found logging in the forest. On the other hand, I have been inside the world’s most modern sugar mills and meat packing plants. The diversity of human endeavor is truly overwhelming.”

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Bruno Lanfranco is a Senior Researcher at the National Institute for Agricultural Research (INIA) in Uruguay, South America. His job involves the development of economic research projects for the agricultural sector. Aside from his duties of investigating and publishing as a researcher, he teaches Economics in the Agribusiness Masters Degree Program in a private university, ORT Uruguay University. His work is well recognized by colleagues, students, farmers, and others in the private sector.

Bruno received his undergraduate education from the Universidad de la Republica in Uruguay and an M..S. in 2000 and a Ph.D. in 2001 in Agricultural and Applied Economics from the University of Georgia. He received the 2000 William Applebaum Memorial Scholarship Award for Outstanding M.S. Thesis from the Food Distribution Research Society. He was an excellent student, receiving the 2000 Rod Ziemer Award for Outstanding M.S. Paper, the 2001 Rod Ziemer Award for Outstanding Ph.D. Paper, and the 2001 Outstanding Ph.D. Student Award, all from the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics.

During his college years, Bruno tried to get the most from the opportunities presented to him. He was grateful for the opportunity to pursue graduate studies at UGA, and he diligently applied himself to his educational pursuits. The experience he gained from living in a foreign country greatly enriched his life and opened his mind in ways that have enhanced his professional career and his personal life.

Bruno offers this advice to current students in the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics: “Whatever you do, put all your enthusiasm and love into it. Get involved in all departmental activities, not only academic, but also the recreational ones. Always try to be friendly and serviceable to others. Be competitive, but not to the extent of becoming selfish. Be collaborative and assist your college classmates in any way you can. Always treat everyone the same way you would like to be treated. Behave kindly and be helpful to your future colleagues, faculty, and staff, and you will gain their respect. Learn from others, because everyone can teach you something useful, even the most humble. A grade, even the highest, does not always assure wisdom. Remember that being successful is not just having a perfect GPA or getting a high-level income job after graduation. View your career as an opportunity to serve others. At the end, what really matters is the imprint you leave on the things you do and on the people that surround you – family, colleagues, friends, employers, and subordinates. They will write the final verdict.”

Bruno is devoted to his wife, Adriana, and their two sons, Mauro (born while Bruno studied at UGA) and Matias. The family enjoys vacationing at the beach and the countryside. Bruno also enjoys traveling abroad, and in his spare time on weekends, he enjoys reading books, listening to music and playing with his children. He is currently coaching a university league soccer team named Yaguari, which was the team he played on during his college years.

James David Loughridge

David Loughridge owns a mixed animal veterinarian practice with three veterinarians. He practices medicine and surgery for both small and large animals in his veterinary clinic, with an emphasis on bovine herd health. In addition, David grows broilers on contract for Gold Kist with a capacity of 138,000. Not only does he supervise the broiler production, he is a partner in a 220 commercial cow/calf operation. David has been presented Friend of 4H awards, and FFA Community Service Awards for helping local chapters through the donation of his time and resources with livestock projects.

When David transferred to the Department of Agricultural Economics after one year in the Business School, he felt as if he had “come home.” However, his parents were concerned about this move and sent him to the Dean for advice. David will never forget Dean Tate’s advice, “Son, do something you will enjoy and can make a living at.” His degree in Agricultural Economics has enabled him to do both. He received a B.S. in Agricultural Economics in 1973 and a DVM in 1978, both from the University of Georgia. While in college, he served as vice-president of the Agricultural Economics Club, a student judge for Student Judiciary, and as a member of the Ag Hill Council, Alpha Zeta, AGHON Honor Society, Gridiron, Alpha Taw Omega Fraternity, and he was chosen as one of two 1973 Outstanding Seniors.

David fondly remembers his college career and his advisor, Dr. Jack Thompson, who he considers to be a “great individual.” He states, “Agricultural Economics is one of the greatest majors because of the broad range of opportunities available to Agricultural Economics graduates. My journey through the department and on to a career in veterinary medicine is living proof of this. A bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Economics can certainly be used as a spring board to further your education. This could be graduate school, law school, veterinary medicine or some other field. The possibilities are limitless. Hardly a day goes by that I do not use something I learned in my Agricultural Economics classes. This education gave me a great background for running a business and for talking with other cattlemen about the economic health of their operations, as well as the health of their herds. My favorite class in all my eight years of college was Dr. Fred Holemo’s Microeconomics 300 class. Life is all about the law of supply and demand.”

David is married to the former Pamelah Daniel of Athens who received a BSED and MSED from the University of Georgia. They have two children, Mary Beth, a third year medical student at Mercer University, and Jim, a ninth-grader at Christian Heritage School in Dalton, Georgia. The family lives in the same house where his great-grandfather, his grandfather, and his father all lived. The farm has been in David’s family since 1869. David is a member of the Murray County and Georgia Cattlemen’s Associations. He is a member and deacon of the First Baptist Church of Chatsworth, Georgia, where he enjoys attending with his family. The family vacations on the Georgia coast, and enjoy horseback riding and just spending time together when their busy schedules permit.

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Student News

Ward Black

Ward Black, a first year Agricultural Economics major from Jackson County, Georgia, is the current Georgia FFA president. He was elected to this position after having served as an FFA chapter officer for four years at Jackson County Comprehensive High School. Ward spent his high school years involved in a variety of FFA-related activities, including showing steers and heifers all four years, judging livestock, starting and operating his own agricultural business, leadership training, meats evaluation, forestry, and electrical wiring career development events.

Ward credits his FFA involvement with helping him develop leadership experience and various skills that will benefit him for the rest of his life. The organization also offered great networking opportunities that enabled him to make friends all across Georgia. Throughout his involvement with FFA, Ward has received numerous awards, including the Home and Community Development Proficiency Award and State FFA Star in Agribusiness Award. The latter award recognized his accomplishment in his Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) program. When he was in the ninth grade, Ward started selling calves for freezer beef. In four years, he sold twenty-six calves and learned the meaning of “responsibility and hard work ethic.” FFA has enabled Ward to have an ownership in his family’s farm through his show cattle projects. He has attempted to choose quality show calves that do well in the pasture. Currently, he is using artificial insemination on his former show heifers to raise show calves for younger 4-H and FFA members in Jackson County. Ward believes his experience with “trial and error” in his business pursuits will benefit him greatly in his future career.

During the next two years, Ward will be working with a team to represent over 24,000 FFA members in Georgia and the Georgia FFA Association at local, state, and national activities. They will plan and coordinate state leadership activities, including the Chapter Officer Leadership Training for statewide chapter officers and the State Greenhand Jamboree for ninth grade and middle school members. Ward states, “The FFA is one of those things in life that you get back as much as you put into it. I’ve been excited about the opportunities that the FFA and agricultural education offers, and I’ve tried to be involved the best I can. The rewards have been more than worth it.”

FFA leadership seems to “run in the family.” Ward’s father, Gary Black, was elected to serve as the Georgia FFA president in 1975. Ward’s father views this opportunity of FFA leadership as a “chance of a lifetime” for his son.

Tatiana Gubanova

Tatiana Gubanova is the recipient of the William Applebaum Memorial Scholarship for Outstanding M.S. Thesis presented by the Food Distribution Research Society (FDRS). She will receive her award in October at the FDRS annual conference. Her thesis is titled “Organic Produce Price Forecasting at a Farm Level: Criteria, Methods, and Forecast Evaluation.” Timothy Park and Luanne Lohr co-chaired the M.S. thesis committee. Tatiana received a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Petrozavodsk State University in Russia in 1999. In three years, she submitted and defended a dissertation dealing with public finance issues at a sub-federal level. In 2003, she joined the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics at the University of Georgia and received her M.S. in Agricultural Economics in May 2005. She is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Economics from UGA’s Terry College of Business.

Tatiana’s research has been focused on organic food price forecasting, contributing to a project between the USDA Risk Management Agency (RMA) and the department. Some results from her Master’s thesis were presented at the 2005 NCR-134 Risk Management, Marketing and Price Analysis Conference and the 2005 Annual Meetings of the American Agricultural Economics Association. She continues working on the RMA project while pursuing her Ph.D. After obtaining her doctorate, Tatiana plans to work for an international financial institution or a large lending company.

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Will Horkan, a fourth year Agribusiness major from Moultrie, Georgia, spent two and one half months of the summer of 2005 as an intern in the office of Senator Saxby Chambliss in Washington, D.C. His duties included attending various hearings, writing memos, research, and helping with a number of diverse assignments. While in Washington, he met some well-known people, including Secretary of Agriculture Michael Johanns, Assistant Secretary of Agriculture Chuck Conner and of course, Senator Chambliss. In his leisure time, Will seized the opportunity to visit some interesting landmarks, including the Smithsonian, the Museum of Native American History, the White House, Arlington Cemetery, the Lincoln Memorial, the Vietnam Memorial, the World War II Memorial, and the National Agricultural Statistics Service.

At UGA, Will is a member of the Agricultural and Environmental Economics Club, and he serves as treasurer of the UGA chapter of Ducks Unlimited. In his leisure time, he likes to hunt, fish, play golf, and work on the farm.

Regarding his time spent as a Washington, D.C. intern, Will stated, “It was a very positive experience. The chance to work with the people on the Senate Agriculture Committee staff was incredible.” His work as an intern has strengthened his desire not to run for office, but to work on policy. After acquiring his Agribusiness degree, Will plans to attend either graduate or law school.

David Nolan, a fourth year agribusiness major from Alpharetta, Georgia, served as an intern at the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) in Washington, D.C. for two months during the summer of 2005. He worked in the Easement Programs Division of the USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS). While in Washington, he met several well-known people within NRCS. On his flight to Washington, he sat next to former Senator Max Cleland. David attended a local church throughout his summer in Washington, and he visited numerous tourist attractions, including monuments, parks and memorials. He gained an understanding of the city through reading about its history and talking with local people.

At the University of Georgia, David is a member of the Cycling Club and Athens 505 Small Group. He was awarded the 2005-2006 Tate Brookins Scholarship and is on the Dean’s List. He is active in his faith and enjoys volunteering his time and helping others in whatever way possible. In his leisure time, he enjoys being outdoors – cycling and playing various sports, including golf, racquetball, and swimming.

David’s experience in Washington, D.C. was indeed positive. He is sharing with people that he gained and grew more as a person than he did as a professional during his time in Washington. He states, “I’m still processing all that I learned during my internship. There were so many invaluable lessons that I learned. I would not trade the experience for anything.”

David has this advice for current students, “I would encourage everyone at some point in their undergraduate career to do something bold related to their education – especially an activity such as an internship or travel abroad. This gave me a better appreciation for the working world and for my remaining time in school.”

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