83rd South Carolina Farm Bureau Annual Meeting

Bryan Smith is the County Coordinator for the Laurens County Extension Office. He is also the chair of the SC Confined Animal Manure Managers Program, which is a required program for all SC confined animal facility owners, and the Laurens County Master Gardener Program coordinator. He earned his Bachelors of Science degree in agricultural engineering from Clemson University in 1995 and earned his Maters degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the University of South Carolina in 1996.

Bryan's interests include animal manure management, livestock watering systems, and commercial, residential and agricultural irrigation systems.

Bryan was born on a family farm centered around commercial beef cattle and hay production.

Cassidy E. Murphy currently serves as Counsel to the Clerk of the South Carolina Senate. With a career spanning legislative affairs, government relations, regulatory policy, and public service, she brings a unique perspective to the intersection of law, technology, and public policy. 

Cassidy’s professional journey includes experience with the South Carolina Farm Bureau Federation government relations team, where she gained valuable insight into the organization’s work, the issues affecting South Carolina agriculture, and the importance of advocacy in representing the interests of the state’s agricultural community. That experience remains an important part of her professional background and gives her a meaningful connection to Farm Bureau. 

Before her current role with the South Carolina Senate, Cassidy also worked with Elevance Health, the South Carolina Office of Regulatory Staff, and the South Carolina Office of the Attorney General. Her experience across the public and private sectors has provided her with a practical understanding of how legislation, regulation, and emerging technologies shape organizations and the communities they serve. 

Cassidy earned her Juris Doctor from the University of South Carolina School of Law and holds a master’s degree in conflict resolution from the University of Massachusetts Boston. Her legal education and training in conflict resolution complement her professional experience in legislative affairs, negotiation, and public policy. 

Outside of work, Cassidy enjoys spending time with her husband, Trey, and their son, Barratt. She is also a devoted New England Patriots football fan, proudly maintaining her team loyalty even though everyone else is choosing to watch college football on Saturdays. 

Growing up on a family farm in Oswego, SC and working in the family business – Lowder Brother’s Gin Company – Dr. Milt Lowder has deep roots in agriculture. Starting as a weed puller, then moving on to driving tractors and eventually on to “store manager,” he learned first-hand the value of hard work, the importance of good habits, and that you truly do reap what you sow. By observing his family, he learned the power of a positive attitude and developed a respect for the perseverance necessary for growth.

Today, Dr. Lowder is a performance psychologist and serves as a partner at AMPLOS. Dr. Lowder completed his Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology with a concentration in Organizational Development from the University of Kentucky.

Dr. Lowder builds trusting relationships with individuals, teams, and organizations to maximize their performance in all aspects of their lives. He helps his clients develop and implement practical strategies to create the best version of themselves.

Dr. Lowder serves as the Sport Psychologist for the Clemson University Athletic Department, where he works with student-athletes, teams, and coaches to improve their performance and to assist them as they deal with the pressures of college athletics and life. Dr. Lowder is married with three children and lives in Greenville, SC. He enjoys spending quality time with his family, playing and attending sporting events, and the outdoors.

Hannah earned a degree in International Business from Clemson University in 2018. After graduating, she began her career working at a global maritime shipping company. In 2019, Hannah moved to the South Carolina Department of Agriculture working in Commissioner Weathers’s office. Then held a role as Agribusiness Development Program Coordinator at SCDA, developing workforce initiatives, assisting small agribusinesses and ag entrepreneurs, and coordinating infrastructure grants and tax credits. Hannah is currently a part of the SCDA Grants Administration Department, serving as the Specialty Crop Block Grant and Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Program grant manager.

J.E.B. Wilson serves as State Executive Director for Farm Service Agency in South Carolina. JEB is a fifth‑generation farmer from Lowrys, South Carolina. He farms with his father, Jeff, and brother, Pete, managing diversified row and specialty crops, including cotton, rye, peaches, strawberries, watermelons, tomatoes, and pumpkins. 

JEB earned a bachelor’s degree in Agriculture and Applied Economics from Clemson University and a master’s degree from the University of Texas at Austin, where he also gained hands‑on experience working on a large ranch. JEB also served on Farm Bureau’s state and national legislative committees as well as the SC Farm Bureau Mutual insurance board. He and his wife Jane have been married for 20 years and are the parents of two sons, Mac (17) and Burris (11). JEB looks forward to representing the Trump‑Vance administration and serving the farmers of South Carolina.

Jonathan holds a B.S. in agricultural mechanization and business and an M.S. in plant and environmental sciences, both from Clemson University. He delivers educational programming in row crop production in Orangeburg, Dorchester, and Berkeley Counties and is a Private Pesticide Applicator Coordinator. His primary areas of expertise are cotton, peanut, soybean, and corn production

Kyle Player is the Executive Director for the Agribusiness Center for Research and Entrepreneurship (ACRE) housed under the South Carolina Department of Agriculture. She currently manages the program with an emphasis on the Entrepreneurship Center and Grants. She serves as the liaison between all persons working with ACRE within the Department and outside the Department. Previously she lived in Washington, DC, where she worked for Airlines for America, a trade association that worked with Congress and the Administration on behalf of major U.S. airlines. She received her undergraduate degree in parks, recreation and tourism management and Masters Degree in community recreation/youth development from Clemson University.

Rachael Sharp is a third-generation row crop farmer and partner at Sharp and Sharp Certified Seed in Allendale, South Carolina, where she grows corn, cotton, soybeans, wheat, oats, rye, and peanuts. She graduated magna cum laude from the University of Georgia in 2009 with a B.A. in English and earned her J.D. from the University of South Carolina School of Law in 2012. 

Rachael serves as Treasurer of the South Carolina Soybean Board and Director of the South Carolina Seedsmen’s Association. She is a member of South Carolina Farm Bureau’s Soybean, Feed Grains, and Hay Advisory Committee and serves as an advisor to the American Farm Bureau Federation’s Budget and Finance Committee. 

Outside of farming and advocacy, Rachael enjoys searching fields for Native American artifacts with her partner Adams, their daughter Leah and their five rescue dogs, hunting hogs, and cheering on the Georgia Bulldogs.