TIFTON – Jaclyn Dixon Ford has been named the Chair of the Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, Inc. Board of Trustees.
Ford has served on the ABAC Foundation Board of Trustees since 2015 as a key member of the Finance and Investment Committee. She attended ABAC before going on to the University of Georgia. Her father, Steve Dixon, was the recipient of the 2023 Master Agriculturalist Award from the ABAC Alumni Association.
“As the 2023-2024 school year begins at ABAC, it is my honor to begin my tenure as the president of the ABAC Foundation,” Ford said. “It’s an exciting time to welcome new students and welcome back returning students to this great institution. ABAC is a special place. Coming from rural South Georgia, I’m very aware of how vital ABAC is to our area. I look forward to working with the ABAC Foundation Board of Trustees and Dr. Brundage to continue to make ABAC an outstanding destination for our students.”
Ford is the Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Dixon Gin Co., Inc. and serves as the company director of Commodities Marketing. She is involved in production agriculture with her family in Berrien County, where they grow cotton, peanuts, corn, cattle, and pecans.
Also, Ford has an impressive record of involvement in professional and community organizations. She was appointed by Governor Brian Kemp in 2019 to serve on the Georgia Economic Development Board. She was formerly appointed by the United States Secretary of Agriculture to the Georgia Farm Service Agency State Committee, serving from 2011-2017.
She also serves on the regional advisory board for Synovus, the Georgia Agribusiness Council Board, The Georgia Farm Bureau Commodities Committee for Cotton, the South Georgia Medical Center – Berrien Campus Authority, is a delegate for the National Cotton Council, and the 2019 Emerging Leaders Class of the National Cotton Council.
“Jaclyn is a recognized leader in Georgia, especially in the agricultural industry,” said ABAC President Tracy Brundage. “She brings a wealth of knowledge and connections that will greatly benefit the ABAC Foundation. I look forward to partnering with her and the other members of the board to ensure we continue the momentum as we implement our new strategic plan and strengthen our relationships with donors and alumni across the region.”
Ford earned a Bachelor of Science degree in agriculture from the University of Georgia and is a 2018 graduate of Leadership Georgia. She and her husband, Jake, have two children and reside in Alapaha. Her son Jake was a dual enrollment student at ABAC.
The ABAC Foundation’s mission is to support the aims and objectives of Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College. The Foundation is a nonprofit corporation that acts as the repository for all gifts given to support the college, which includes providing the necessary funds from ABAC alumni and friends to support the college’s scholarships, programs, faculty, staff and expanding footprint.
