There are five vice presidents that make up the Executive team at PCCA. Each plays a critical role in the execution of board directives and project success at this cooperative. Charley Triplett, PCCA’s Vice President of Member Services & Administration, oversees most of the grower-facing employees within the company. He has led the Member Services team since 2016. His role expanded in 2023 to include the Administration team. His duties include but are not limited to cultivating grower and gin relationships, creating a positive company culture, and overseeing internal and external communications at the cooperative. Charley is dedicated to giving those in his charge the tools they need to succeed.
Charley joined the PCCA staff in 1992 after graduating from Texas Tech University with a bachelor’s degree in agricultural economics. He has served in multiple capacities since joining the cooperative. After starting out in Telcot Center, he was promoted to manage the Grower Services Department. He did so from 1995 until 2010 when he became Director of Marketing Communications. Today, he is the Vice President of Member Services and Administration.
Get to know Charley better in the following Q&A:
Were you raised in agriculture or the cotton industry?
My immediate family did not farm but I had relatives on both sides of my family that farmed. My father worked at the local grain elevator. During college, I had the opportunity to work at the AgriLife Research Experiment Station in weed research and farming systems. This started my pursuit of cotton knowledge. I did my senior thesis on the economics of cotton conservation tillage with LEPA irrigation and had the opportunity to present the results at the Beltwide Cotton Conference.
In your opinion, what makes PCCA special?
PCCA is special because everything we accomplish is for the benefit of our grower-owners. Because they are willing to produce cotton, we can utilize our software capabilities for the benefit of them and their gins. We can warehouse cotton and market cotton on their behalf. Without them, we really do not have a reason to exist. This alone gives us a purpose that is based on partnering with them for our mutual success. PCCA has been blessed with gifted employees over the years to steward what we do, which also makes it a special place.
What is the biggest advantage or benefit PCCA grower-owners receive by utilizing our services?
The biggest advantage our grower-owners have is ownership. They own PCCA and have a voice when it comes to the direction and objectives of PCCA. They own an innovative company that markets and warehouses cotton along with their fellow grower-owners.
How does PCCA add value to gins?
PCCA adds value at the gin level through technology. We provide software and hardware that is aimed at making them more competitive and efficient. Just as valuable is the service we provide along with being a resource for them in all things cotton.
What is something PCCA does that our growers/gins may not know much about?
PCCA has innovation at our core and has developed a lot of the technology that the cotton industry utilizes today. This has transformed the industry, but the original motivation of our founders is still the most important reason we are who we are. PCCA was founded to market our grower-owners’ cotton and assist them in getting a competitive price. By continuing to do this, PCCA defends the price of cotton for every cotton producer within our footprint. Currently the value of the cooperative model is under-utilized. PCCA must have competitive marketing choices for our grower-owners but a component of how competitive we are is market share. The worst thing for PCCA is for our grower-owners to leave versus wanting to stay and work with us to correct any issues. We are stronger together.
What is your hope for the future of PCCA?
I hope PCCA continues to be successful and fulfill our mission. The measure of this will be the ability for future generations to continue to farm and be productive on their land.
Why are you proud to work for cotton farmers?
I am proud to work for cotton farmers because I have always found everyone in agriculture, but specifically the ones that work the land, to be some of the most genuinely good people you will find anywhere. I consider myself blessed to have the opportunity to work for them.
