Jim Yance of Columbia in Henry County was elected to the Red Angus Association of America board of directors. JYJ Red Angus LLC was also named Commercial Breeder of the Year.

Mel Koller is Alabama Farm Credit’s new chief executive officer. Koller, formerly vice president at the Farm Credit Bank of Texas, succeeds Ben Gore, who retired after 42 years with the rural lending cooperative.

Joshua Duke will lead Auburn University’s Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology beginning March 1. The department head joins Auburn’s staff from the University of Delaware.