State Women’s Leadership and Young Farmers committees elected new leaders at the Alabama Farmers Federation’s 96th annual meeting in Montgomery Dec. 3-4.

Debbie Roberts of Fayette County is the new Women’s Leadership chair. Ben Maples of Limestone County was elected Young Farmers chair. Both serve one-year, ex-officio terms on the Federation’s state board of directors.

Other State Women’s Leadership Committee officers elected were Vice Chairman Jo Ann Laney of Russell County and Secretary Kathy Gordon of Montgomery County.

Cullman County’s Lydia Haynes was elected Region 1 director, which includes Blount, Cherokee, Colbert, Cullman, DeKalb, Etowah, Franklin, Jackson, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone, Madison, Marion, Marshall, Morgan and Winston counties.

Mobile County’s Debbie Freeland was elected Region 3 director, which includes Baldwin, Butler, Choctaw, Clarke, Conecuh, Dallas, Escambia, Hale, Lowndes, Marengo, Mobile, Monroe, Montgomery, Perry, Sumter, Washington and Wilcox counties.

Lee County’s Ann Whatley was elected the at-large state committee member.

County committees that excelled in 2017 were honored at the Women’s Leadership Division Awards Luncheon. Wilcox County received the Most Improved Committee Award. Outstanding County Committee Awards went  to Fayette County, Division 1; St. Clair County, Division 2; and Calhoun County, Division 3.

Marshall County collected the most aluminum pop tabs for Ronald McDonald Houses in Alabama with 299.5 pounds. Statewide, Women’s Leadership committees collected 1,949 pounds of pop tabs in 2017.

Five new committee members were elected to the State Young Farmers Committee. They were Brady Peek of Limestone County, District 1; Chase Hammock of Talladega County, District 3; Cooper Holmes of Perry County, District 5, who also was elected vice chair; Jonathan Sanders of Coffee County, District 7; and Garrett Dixon of Lee County, South Alabama At-Large. Autauga County's Taber Ellis was elected secretary.

Outstanding Young Farmers county committees were honored during the meeting. Winners were Cherokee County, Division 1; Limestone County, Division 2; and Montgomery County, Division 3.