Dr. Terry Townsend is the executive director of the International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC). He joined the ICAC as statistician in 1987 and became executive director in 1999. He has a Ph.D. in Agricultural and Resource Economics from Oregon State University in the United States. The ICAC is the intergovernmental commodity body for cotton. The Committee works to raise awareness of critical issues involving cotton, it provides statistical and scientific information, and the ICAC facilitates cooperation on international issues related to the cotton economy.