Sterling Martin came to Farm Bureau in April of 2011 and was hired as the Application and Development Manager. Sterling was promoted to the IT Manger position in 2015. Sterling graduated from Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, Louisiana in 1989 with a bachelor of science degree.  Sterling is a US Army veteran. He lives in Columbia with his wife Leslie and daughter Alahna.

Mandy began her employment in April of 1998 with South Carolina Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company as a File Clerk, Policy Services Analyst and Account Bill Analyst. In 2001, Mandy transitioned to Executive Secretary – Operations for the Actuarial Department and she worked in that capacity until she was hired as an Account Underwriter in June of 2012. Mandy was promoted to Senior Account Underwriter in 2018. In 2021, Mandy transitioned to the Training Department where she accepted the Associate Director of Training position.

Lydia Yon, along with her husband Kevin, operates Yon Family Farms, a family-owned business, in Ridge Spring, SC. Both Yons are graduates of Clemson University with degrees in Animal Science.

Jim Hollis DVM, MS has served as the director of South Carolina Meat-Poultry Inspection Department since February 2021. Prior to that appointment, he was assistant director from February 2018 until February 2021.

Before joining Clemson University, Dr. Hollis was the District Veterinarian for the State of Indiana for 15 years. He also spent two years with USDA Food Safety Inspection Service in Cincinnati area before that. For eleven years, he practiced private veterinary medicine in Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky. 

Jason started raising forage fed and finished beef around 12-14 years ago. He added pasture-raised pork to his operation in the last 5 years. His two daughters raise pastured chicken and turkeys that they process on the farm. As is the case for many, Jason had a hard time finding a place to process his livestock, so he took matters into his own hands and purchased a USDA certified and inspected plant in Hodges, SC. Working alongside his wife, Penelope, they process 10-12 beef cattle and 5 hogs each week with their numbers reaching 2500 head annually.

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

Dr. Alison Van Eenennaam is a Professor of Cooperative Extension in the field of Animal Genomics and Biotechnology in the Department of Animal Science at University of California, Davis.  She received a Bachelor of Agricultural Science from the University of Melbourne in Australia, and both an MS in Animal Science, and a PhD in Genetics from UC Davis.

Maria Lund is President and COO of First Sun EAP a regional provider of employee assistance program services in South Carolina. Maria has over 30 years of experience working in the counseling and EAP fields. She has a Master’s Degree in Clinical Psychology and is a Certified and Licensed Employee Assistance Professional as well as a Licensed Professional Counselor.