After a total of 113 years of experience three TFBF employees to retire

Effective December 31, TFBF Communications Director Pettus Read, Special Programs Director Charles Curtis and Director of Organization Bobby Beets will retire following a career totaling 113 years.

Communications Director Pettus Read began his career in 1969 as an agent in the Rutherford County Farm Bureau office. In 1974 he became district field representative in the Upper Cumberland area for the state organization. After 9 1/2 years in that position he moved to Columbia in 1983 to serve as assistant director of Communications. He assumed the position of director in 1995, along with editor of the Tennessee Farm Bureau News and later the Tennessee Home & Farm magazine, as well as writing his “Read All About It” column seen weekly in more than 50 newspapers statewide. He says he is looking forward to spending time on his family farm, participating in local politics and being a part of his grandchildren’s lives after spending 44 years of employment with Farm Bureau.

Special Programs Director Charles Curtis began his Tennessee Farm Bureau career July 1, 1983 as a field service director in the Upper Cumberland. In 1995 he was promoted to director of Special Programs for Tennessee Farm Bureau coordinating the Young Farmers programs, Farm Bureau Women’s activities and the Agriculture in the Classroom program. Through his leadership the programs have been recognized nationally. He has supported participants and winners in state and national competition. The Ag In The Classroom activities have had continuous growth under his leadership. Curtis is a native of Overton County in Rickman, Tennessee. He and his wife Sharon operate a small registered shorthorn beef operation on the family farm near Rickman. He is looking forward to spending time with his family, and being part of his grandchildren’s lives as they play sports and show cattle. He says he is also looking forward to planning a birthday party for his mother who will be 100 on March 18, 2014.

Organization Director Bobby Beets also began his Farm Bureau career as a district field representative working in the lower East Tennessee region of the state in 1974. He served in that position from ’74 until 1980 when he moved to Columbia to become the director of Special Programs. Beets held that position until 1995 when he became the Organization director overseeing activities of the Membership Department including the Member Benefits and County Accounting programs; supervised work of regional field directors with county Farm Bureaus including staff and leader training; managed meeting arrangements and logistics and coordinated the awards programs with both county Farm Bureaus and AFBF. Beets is looking forward to spending time with his family, especially as he and his wife Sherree enjoy their three grandchildren.