Gene Wheatley is the new National Public Relations Director for AAM and began his duties February 12th of this year. Many of you have met Gene through the years. He was the Farm Director of KJRH-TV 2 and KTUL-TV 8 in Tulsa, OK when he first started working with AAM some 20 years ago. He was then moved to KOCL-TV 5 owned by the huge "Gannett, Corp." in Oklahoma City.

While doing live morning and noon TV shows he did 6 live radio farm shows daily on KOMA Radio, the big 50,000 watt clear channel station where he reached farmers and ranchers in 22 states and 5 foreign countries.

All of his TV shows, in spite of being ag based, became number one in their market. Even with high ratings the stations would hire a different News Director, always a city person from back east, who would immediately proclaim, "We're a metropolitan station now and don't need a Farm Director."

Gene Says, "It hasn't been easy keeping agriculture in the public eye." According to Wheatley, "Farm Directors and farmers are fast becoming a dieing breed in this country."

KWTV 9 was the one exception and backed agriculture even after Gene left on his own to pursue private ventures in Texas.

Gene and his wife Margaret have a ranch and hay farm five miles North of Decatur, Texas. Most recently he was the National Public Relations Director for P&M Feed, Inc. out of Weatherford, Texas where he traveled throughout America speaking to ag groups and marketing livestock feed.

Wheatly plans to be the liason for AAM working with radio, TV, and print media throughout America. He is getting up to date on all agricultural issues and needs your input.

You can reach him at Gene Wheatly, 128 PR 2359, Decatur, TX 76234. Phone or Fax at 940-627-4120, or E-mail at wheatleyent@compuwise.com. Wheatly says, "I'm very excited about working with the great folks of AAM. One of the first things we need to do is get our membership back up and I'll go just about anywhere to speak to a group. I hope to be kept very busy immediately!"