William Donald Shurley, Jr
 Don
Shurley is a professor/economist at the University of Georgia, Department
of Agricultural and Applied Economics in Tifton, Georgia. His education
and research duties encompass all areas of economics dealing with
cotton, including price outlook, marketing decision-making and price
risk management, production economics, and policy analysis. He conducts
multi-disciplinary research to improve cotton yield, quality, and
profitability. Don works closely with professionals in the cotton
industry, including producers, ginners, and merchants, and he provides
education and research analysis for commodity organizations and
legislative decision-makers. He has authored numerous publications
and conducts vital educational meetings. He also served as the College
of Agricultural and Environmental Science’s leader and coordinator
for the 2002 Farm Bill educational program efforts.
Before working at the University of Georgia, Don was an assistant
professor and associate professor in the Department of Agricultural
Economics at the University of Kentucky. Don received his B.S. in
Economics from Georgia Southern in 1975, his M.S. in Agricultural
Economics from the University of Georgia in 1977, and his Ph.D.
in Agricultural Economics from Purdue University in 1980. He has
been nominated by the department for the 2003 D.W. Brooks Award
for Excellence in Extension. He was an invited presenter of “Cotton
Outlook” at the annual meetings of the American Agricultural
Economics Association in 1999 and 2002 and was vice chair in 2002-2003
and chair in 2004 of the Economics and Marketing Conference, Beltwide
Cotton Conference.
Regarding his involvement with the Department of Agricultural
and Applied Economics at the University of Georgia, Don states,
“I have been associated with the department and its faculty,
either as a student or professionally for over 25 years. I have
seen the good times and the not-so-good times for the department
and the Land Grant System in general. I remember when Fred White,
Wes Musser, and Joe Broder first came to UGA as new faculty hires.
Steve Brannen was Department Head and Wen Williams was my major
professor. John McKissick, George Shumaker, Rod Zeimer, Charlie
Curtis (Clemson), Jerry Crews (Auburn) and I were all “bullpen”
mates. I feel very fortunate to have been given the opportunity
to move back to my home state almost 13 years ago now. It is a privilege
and honor to work for the department and UGA and to go to work every
day with the objective of trying to help Georgia farmers.”
Don and his wife, the former Joy Battle of Macon, have two sons,
Justin, twenty-three years old, and Matt, seventeen years old. Justin
played college baseball at Middle Georgia College and North Georgia
College and is now pursuing a Masters degree in Physical Therapy
at the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta. Matt is also a baseball
player and will be a senior at Tift County High School in fall 2003.
Don is a member of the First Baptist Church, president of the Tift
County High School Blue Devil Dugout Club, vice president of the
Tift County Recreation Department Athletic Advisory Board, and is
a CHSA certified baseball umpire. In his leisure time, Don enjoys
attending baseball games and watching his youngest son play, umpiring
baseball games, deer and bird hunting with his sons, working in
the yard, and family trips to the beach.
Nathan Smith
 Nathan
Smith was recently presented two awards. As a member of the 2002 National
Extension Farm Bill Train-the-Trainer Program, he received the 2003
Administrator's Award from the Farm Service Agency. In addition, Nathan
was presented the Outstanding Public Issues Education Program Award
from the Farm Foundation and the National Public Policy Education
Committee.
An Assistant Professor and Extension Economist in the Department
of Agricultural and Applied Economics, Nathan joined the university
in 2000 and is located at the Rural Development Center on the Tifton
Campus. The focus of his work is centered on the economics of production,
marketing and policy related to peanuts. Nathan has been heavily involved
in policy education since the beginning of the Farm Bill debate, following
the debate over the peanut program, examining potential impacts and
keeping county agents and producers up-to-date through newsletters
and meetings. He was an integral part of the Extension Agricultural
Economics Farm Bill Education effort that includes a website, spreadsheet
decision aid, and 57 meetings with over 3,300 Georgians in attendance
(producers, landlords, lenders and industry professionals). Nathan
has been an invited speaker regionally and nationally on the implications
of the new peanut program and is also a lead member of a Southern
Region Extension Committee to develop and conduct a peanut marketing
education program in response to the changes in the 2002 Farm Bill.
Nathan received a B.S. in Agricultural Industries from Clemson University
in 1989, an M.S. in Agricultural Economics from Auburn University
in 1992, and a Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics from the University
of Kentucky in 2000.
Before joining UGA, Nathan worked for the University of Arkansas
Cooperative Extension Service for three years as Extension Marketing
Specialist. He received the Specialist Performance Award and Team
Award in 1998 from the Arkansas Association of Cooperative Extension
Specialists.
Nathan likes to spend leisure time with his wife Kimberly and their
two sons, seven-year-old Douglas and five-year-old Daniel. He is soccer
coach and teaches 3rd and 4th grade Sunday School at North Baptist
Church. Nathan was raised in Easley, South Carolina and enjoys visiting
family in South Carolina, Alabama and Kentucky. He also enjoys softball,
golf, hunting, and fishing.
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