Women Continue to be Difference-Makers in the Fabric of Cotton Incorporated
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CARY, N.C. ~ For over 50 years, women have been at the forefront of Cotton Incorporated, providing resources and research to help companies develop and market innovative and profitable products. This Women's History Month, Cotton Incorporated is celebrating the women who have had a major influence in the process of taking cotton from the land to the shelves to ourselves.

Dr. Ruth Benerito was inducted into the Cotton Hall of Fame in 2019 for her work in cellulose chain segments. Her research was crucial in leading the way to wrinkle-free cotton during her time as a U.S. Department of Agriculture chemist in the 1960s. Dr. Benerito found a way to tame cotton, into a fabric she lovingly called, "wash-wear cotton". She was 97-years-young when she passed away in 2013 and was also inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame (2008).

Cotton Incorporated is a not-for-profit company that does not manufacture or sell products but conducts research to benefit every link on the cotton supply chain and develops promotions that encourage the use and desirability of cotton and cotton products. The departments are comprised of women who continually develop resources for each phase, including Kimberley S. Kitchings (Senior Vice President, Consumer Marketing), Vikki Martin (Vice President, Fiber Competition), Mary Ankeny (Vice President, Product Development & Implementation Operations), Melissa Bastos (Director, Corporate Strategy and Consumer Insights), Linda DeFranco (Director, Fashion Marketing), Susan Yvonne Jaconis Ph.D., Director of Agricultural Research (cottonseed and plant physiology), Kaitlyn Bissonnette Ph.D., Director of Agricultural Research (plant pathology and nematology) and Sally Taylor Ph.D., Director of Agricultural Research (entomology).

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The Fabric Of Our LivesTM website recently highlighted several Cotton Board members including Kathy Fowler (Cotton Producer), Rebecca Thom (4th Generation Farmer, Farm Manager), Emily Gigot (Sr Sustainability Manager), Barbara Buhr (SVP of Global Sourcing for Destination XL) and Sonja Chapman (Cotton Board Chairwoman).

In 1973, Cotton Incorporated introduced The Seal Of Cotton trademark which is used on a variety of cotton-containing products from apparel to beauty products to laundry detergent as an indication that it contains cotton. In 1989 The Fabric Of Our LivesTM campaign conveyed how cotton touches our lives every day by creating an emotional connection between consumers and cotton itself.

Women have been instrumental in elevating cotton through their leadership in production, research, marketing and as customers for over 50 years now through Cotton Incorporated's efforts which has made it a recognized global authority on all things related to this commodity fabric.

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