New Delta Council President a Sixth-Generation Farmer
Agriculture is an ever-changing industry built on hard work, good leadership and people working to discover new and innovative ways of doing things more efficiently with a hope of making things better for future generations. New Delta Council President Clint Dunn, a sixth-generation farmer from Itta Bena, had spent the past thirteen-plus years volunteering and serving on different state and national agriculture committees and councils to help do his part to make a positive difference in the number one industry in Mississippi.
“As a farmer in the Mississippi Delta, we face a variety of unique challenges, and I know having good representation at the local, state and national levels is vital to our industry now and for future generations,” says Dunn. “Growing up in a farming family in our Mississippi Delta community, I am excited about future opportunities in our industry.”
At the age of forty-four, Dunn is part of a new generation playing leadership roles promoting Mississippi agriculture. Delta Council has three primary goals: Promotion and development of agriculture, flood control and support of good transportation infrastructure. The ninety-year-old Delta Council is a unique area wide development organization that includes representatives from nineteen counties. Some of those counties are sparsely populated without a lot of economic activity.
“There is strength in numbers,” says Dunn. “Smaller populated counties have the full weight of Delta Council behind them. We are working together as a cohesive unit.”
Former Delta Council Presidents are pleased to see Dunn take over.
“I couldn’t be more pleased that he’s willing to contribute his time and talent serving as President, and I’m confident the Delta will benefit from his leadership,” says Patrick Johnson, Tunica, who is President of the National Cotton Council this year. “Clint is very astute; he has the ability to grasp complex problems and develop workable solutions. In getting to know him over the past few years, I’ve witnessed repeatedly his willingness to work on issues that benefit the greater community.”
Bryan Jones III, a former Delta Council President who is a retired banker and farmer from Yazoo City, says Dunn is typical of past Delta Council Presidents who are good businessmen, farmers and family men.
“Clint is a great American and a smart guy,” says Jones. “It is important to have someone from the younger generation like Clint taking over the leadership of Delta Council. Clint is going to do a really good job and he will have the support of all the leadership. He is just a very personable guy. He attracts people. His Delta Council work takes away from his business; it is a sacrifice for him to do it.”
Agribusinessman John Phillips of Holly Springs expects Dunn will bring a blend of experience, talent and strategic vision to the office of Delta Council President.
“His leadership will strengthen Delta Council’s effectiveness in its mission to promote regional economic development, improve health care and make the Delta a better place live and work,” says Phillips. “Clint will do a great job.
Dunn considers it an honor and privilege to serve and credits his family with helping manage their cotton, corn and soybean farm while he is participating in activities away from home including lobbying in Washington D.C. for the needs of agriculture including a new farm bill.
“Especially this year as President, it will entail a good bit of meetings and trips,” says Dunn. “I’m fortunate that I’m partners with my brother and my father, and they also see the importance and significance of Delta Council. They pick up the slack so I can volunteer my time. I absolutely could not do it without the support of them and my wife and kids.”
While being away from home is a sacrifice, it is a necessary part of the advocacy. Dunn is a people person, and likes visiting with farmers, legislators and with people in general.
“I enjoy getting to tell our story,” says Dunn. “I think producing food and fiber is an honorable profession. It is worth the time to tell our story including by visiting Washington D.C. What I have learned in my experience in D.C. is that just about every legislative aide and lobbyist says the most important thing is for the constituents to go up there to meet with their congressional representatives to be heard. It carries more weight when individuals spend time away from home to make the effort to connect and tell the story of Mississippi agriculture.”
Ag is the number economic generator not just in the Delta, but the state. But that is not the Delta council’s sole purpose.
“Delta Council is not just a farming organization,” says Dunn. “Every person in the Delta is affected by flooding and the transportation infrastructure.”
Growing up on the farm as a kid, Dunn worked for his parents on the farm. In high school he worked for a local computer company, Microsped. While he enjoyed that job and learned a lot, he didn’t expect to make that part of his career.
While attending Ole Miss, he took a semester off of school and was a White House intern during the presidency of George W. Bush. Dunn then returned to Ole Miss where he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and Business Administration. Those educational focuses served him well when he returned home to start farming.
“The financial numbers on any farming operation are so large now—the dollars it takes to produce a crop are so big—that it takes as much business as farming acumen to be successful,” says Dunn.
Born in Yuma, Ariz., his family moved to Itta Bena when he was five. One of his strongest early-life influences growing up was his grandfather, who passed away in July 2024 at the age of ninety-six.
“Until the week before his death, he stayed involved with the family farm, offering encouragement and advice,” says Dunn. “Growing up, I saw his dedication to hard work and sacrifice to improve things for others and future generations. He taught me the importance of maintaining a sound reputation and understanding the concept of integrity.”
Dunn has seen huge improvements in farming technology over recent decades.
“Technology has been a great boon to cotton and to agriculture in general,” he says. “What makes cotton an interesting crop to grow is the farmer has a lot of control over how it grows. Some farmers like a taller stalk and others a shorter stalk. It is very adaptable to each farmer’s growing style.”
In recent years synthetic fabric has cut into the market share for cotton. Dunn says cotton—a natural fiber that is soft and feels good to wear–is trying to catch back up.
Dunn is currently the Mississippi representative for the American Cotton Producers, which is composed of twenty-four producer leaders elected by their peers. ACP represents all the cotton producers in the U.S. and advocates on their behalf through the National Cotton Council. He also serves on the ACP Crop Insurance Working Group.
His initial engagement with Washington D.C. occurred when Bill Litton extended an invitation for Dunn to serve as an officer during Litton’s tenure as Delta Council President.
Dunn’s goals for his tenure leading Delta Council include sticking to its core principles. Dunn will be working hard for a meaningful farm bill, trying to get as many crop protection tools as possible for farmers, and improving healthcare for the Delta through a regional model. He will advocate for healthcare, education and job opportunities vital for the Delta.
Dunn says the most satisfying part of farming for him is harvest time; gathering the crops after battling pests, weeds and weather all year is highly rewarding. He finds the marketing aspect of the crop the least enjoyable. For all farmers, the past couple of years have been extremely challenging because of historically high input costs combined with low commodity prices. That has caused a lot of anxiety in farm country.
“There are absolutely added stress levels,” says Dunn. “We’re fighting pests, weather, markets and we’ve got tariffs. It is tough, but it comes with the territory. I don’t think stress is new to farming but I think it has compounded over the years as the inputs have all gone up, the dollars are so big and the margins are so small.”
When he isn’t farming or volunteering with Delta Council and other organizations, Dunn is up in the air.
“I am a pilot, so I enjoy being in the air anytime I can,” says Dunn. “My grandfather, father, and brother have all been pilots.”
Dunn also enjoys bird hunting, especially quail.
“When I moved back to Mississippi in 2010, I was taken in by a group of gentlemen at least thirty years my senior who are passionate about wild quail hunting. Their wisdom and friendship have been some of the most rewarding relationships I have experienced. Also, my family and I spend quite a lot of time at Ole Miss sporting events.”
Dunn and his wife, Aimee, married in 2006. Their son, Jackson, sixteen, enjoys playing football, baseball, basketball, skeet shooting and duck hunting. Their daughter Addison, fifteen, is a cheerleader and plays volleyball. His parents are Dwight and Penny Dunn, and his brother, Travis, is married to Paige.
A graduate of Pillow Academy, Dunn volunteers there working in the concession stands and assisting with the football livestream. Each year, he helps organize and run the Delta Streets Charity Clay Target Shoot with his friend Carty Tillman. This is their fourteenth year for that event.