Board & Management

Adolphus B. Baker has served as Chairman of the Board of Directors since 2012.  He served as Chief Executive Officer from 2010 until 2022.  Previously, Mr. Baker served as Company President from 2010 to 2018 and as Chief Operations Officer from 1997 to 2010. Mr. Baker served as Company Vice President and Director of Marketing from 1987 to 2010 after earning his promotion from his prior position as Company Assistant to the President in 1987. Mr. Baker joined Cal-Maine Foods in 1986.

Mr. Baker has guided Cal-Maine Foods’ emergence as the largest producer and distributor of fresh shell eggs and egg products in the United States. During his tenure, the Company has identified, acquired and successfully integrated 23 companies that have driven enterprise growth. Mr. Baker was also instrumental in delivering the Company’s 1996 initial public offering and Nasdaq listing (NASDAQ: CALM). Mr. Baker’s focus on prudential growth helped drive net sales of $293 million in fiscal 1997 to nearly $1.8 billion in fiscal 2022. Concurrently, he aligned enterprise production, sales and distribution capabilities to generate sales volumes in excess of one billion dozen shell eggs, which represent about 20% of current United States domestic shell egg consumption. Mr. Baker expanded the Company’s total addressable market through joint ventures, partnerships and franchise agreements that created enterprise synergies and enhanced capabilities that currently serve more than 60,000 customer retail locations. Notably, Mr. Baker has supervised the installation of an asset base that helps the Company provide a spectrum of food choice across product categories.

As Company CEO, Mr. Baker helps ensure that the senior leadership team’s skills comprise the operating talent and expertise necessary to promote strong food safety outcomes, drive product quality and innovation and maintain meaningful regulatory dialogue. Mr. Baker also leverages his deep experience and diverse skillset to advise industry stakeholders. Mr. Baker currently serves on the Board of Directors of Eggland’s Best, Inc., and the board of managers of Eggland’s Best, LLC. He previously served as Chairman of the American Egg Board, United Egg Producers, Egg Clearinghouse, Inc. and the Mississippi Poultry Association. He has also previously served as a Director of United Egg Producers. He currently
serves on the Board of Directors of Trustmark Corporation and its subsidiary, Trustmark National Bank.

Mr. Baker earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from Mississippi State University in 1980. He is the son-in-law of the late Fred R. Adams, Jr., the Company’s founder. The Board believes that Mr. Baker’s highly informed view of Company operations, his depth and breadth of experience and his continued poultry industry engagement qualify him to serve on the Board.

Mr. Miller was named President and Chief Executive Officer in 2022.  He served as Company President since 2018 and as Chief Operations Officer since 2011; he was elected to the Board in 2012. Mr. Miller has devoted his professional career to the Company since joining in 1996, including by serving in various positions of increasing responsibility in operations prior to his promotion to Company Vice President, Operations, in 2007. Mr. Miller is a widely recognized animal protein industry expert. He brings extensive experience in attracting and retaining the talent base necessary to support the Company’s strategy of growing by acquisition and integration, in addition to organic growth.

Since 2011, Mr. Miller has maintained primary responsibility for commodity sourcing and procurement as well as operational logistics that support distribution. Mr. Miller brings a deep understanding of the regulatory landscape that governs how safe, quality food is produced, processed and brought to market. He is primarily responsible for upholding Company risk policies tied to food safety, environmental management and animal welfare. Mr. Miller’s current and prior board service includes contributions to the United Egg Producers, the U.S. Poultry and Egg Association and the Mississippi State University Poultry Science Advisory Board, among others. He earned his B.S. in Poultry Science from Mississippi State University, where he currently serves as the Distinguished Fellow for the Department of Poultry Science. The Board believes that Mr. Miller’s recognized and substantial industry experience, track record of innovation and successful execution of the Company’s strategies for the benefit of its customers qualify him to serve on the Board.

Mr. Bowman has served as Company Vice President and Chief Financial Officer since October 5, 2018, when he was elected to the Board. Mr. Bowman also serves as treasurer and secretary. He joined the Company in June 2018 as Vice President, Finance. Mr. Bowman is a Certified Public Accountant who has extensive experience leading corporate finance and accounting, financial reporting, risk management and merger and acquisition efforts. Mr. Bowman is responsible for the Company’s business line finance group, accounting and financial reporting, corporate development, financial planning and analysis, human capital, information technology, investor relations, risk management and sustainability functions.

Prior to joining the Company, Mr. Bowman served as Chief Financial Officer of Southern States Utility Trailer Sales and H&P Leasing from 2014 to 2018. In 2003, Mr. Bowman co-founded Tenax, LLC, a holding company for Tenax Aerospace, a special-mission aircraft-leasing company. At Tenax, Mr. Bowman served as chief executive officer, chief financial officer and president. From 1985 to 2002, Mr. Bowman served in progressive roles of responsibility at ChemFirst, Inc. (NYSE: CEM), a diversified global agricultural, intermediate and fine chemical manufacturer and provider of electronic materials and chemicals to the semiconductor industry that was previously listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Mr. Bowman was appointed as Chief Financial Officer of ChemFirst in 1997 and served in this role until ChemFirst was sold to DuPont Co in December 2002. Previously, Mr. Bowman began working at Arthur Andersen & Company in 1982 and was serving as a Senior Auditor when he left the firm in 1985.

Mr. Bowman’s earlier board service includes Tenax and WGS Systems. He earned a Bachelor of Accountancy Degree from Mississippi State University. The Board believes that Mr. Bowman’s extensive experience in managing the finance divisions of public and private companies and successful dealmaking track record qualify him to serve on the Board.

Letitia C. Hughes was elected to the Board as an independent director in 2001. Ms. Hughes retired as Senior Vice President and Manager of Private Banking at Trustmark National Bank in Jackson, Mississippi, in 2014 after more than forty years of service as a private wealth management expert, industry vertical banker and credit analyst. During her career, Ms. Hughes earned progressively more senior roles tied to financial services, human capital management and technology management, among other capabilities. She served as a subject matter expert for customer privacy, bank secrecy and anti-money laundering governance initiatives. Ms. Hughes also helped the bank develop standards for measuring progress against key legal,
compliance and performance objectives.

Ms. Hughes most recently served as Senior Vice President at Trustmark. She focused her career on private banking from 1995 until her retirement. Ms. Hughes helped high net-worth individuals and their families meet their financial goals by providing holistic wealth planning capabilities, including financial analysis, real estate and portfolio management solutions and insurance, tax and trust-planning services. Between 1980 and 1995, Ms. Hughes served as a relationship manager for small- and medium-size corporate clients and offered merger and acquisition advisory services in addition to loan origination capabilities across industry verticals, including manufacturing, food processing and heavy equipment leasing and finance, among others. In 1975, Ms. Hughes was promoted to a generalist credit analyst role dedicated to support the bank’s risk management efforts. She began her career with Trustmark in 1974 as a management trainee. During her career, Ms. Hughes maintained active Series 6, Series 7 and Series 63 licenses.

Ms. Hughes continues to contribute to community organizations, including serving in a number of leadership and advisory roles in the Jackson, Mississippi, area. Notably, she previously served as President of the Junior League of Jackson, Mississippi. Ms. Hughes has served on the Board of Directors of Methodist Rehabilitation Center (“MRC”) in Jackson since 2007. Since 2012, she has also supported the MRC’s Wilson Research Foundation, which is devoted to build a research and education program to advance the clinical practice of neurorehabilitation, with board service and Investment Committee participation and oversight.

Ms. Hughes earned her B.S. in Math from Vanderbilt University in 1974. The Board believes that Ms. Hughes’ broad audit, finance and banking experience, in addition to her general knowledge of the Company’s operating environment, qualify her to serve on the Board.

James E. Poole was elected to the Board as an independent director in 2004. Mr. Poole is a Certified Public Accountant who retired in 2013 as a Principal of GranthamPoole, a public accounting firm he co-founded in 1999. GranthamPoole grew into one of the southeastern United States’ largest regional accounting firms, driven largely by the firm’s recognized expertise designing audit, ethics and governance programs for clients. Mr. Poole’s service to the firm included Management Committee membership and senior partner and principal roles. Mr. Poole’s practice focused on identifying clients’ key business risks and helping them integrate liability management and insurance strategies into growth-focused operating cultures. He also supervised the expansion of the firm’s merger and acquisitions and tax-consulting practices.

Prior to co-founding GranthamPoole, Mr. Poole founded James E. Poole, CPA, a public accounting firm, in 1985. Under his leadership, the firm quickly scaled its valuation and merger and advisory practices on behalf of corporate clients pursuing growth, among other specialty areas. Previously, Mr. Poole co-founded Mississippi Mortgage Company, a company focused on low-income housing mortgage origination and syndication. He also built other businesses, including a real estate company focused on residential development in the Florida panhandle in addition to a business dedicated to oil and gas exploration.

A native of Oxford, Mississippi, Mr. Poole earned a Bachelor of Business Administration with a major in Accounting from University of Mississippi in 1972. He is very well-known for his contributions to the Ole Miss football team as a standout player. Mr. Poole is also active in the community. He previously volunteered for Kairos Prison Ministries, an organization devoted to serve incarcerated men, women and youth and assist those who have been impacted by incarceration. He previously served on the ministry’s Central Mississippi Board of Directors.

The Board believes that Mr. Poole’s extensive audit and financial experience, risk management expertise, successful track record of business
development and broad knowledge of the general business climate where the Company operates qualify him for service on the Board.

Steve W. Sanders was elected to the Board as an independent director in 2009. Mr. Sanders is a Certified Public Accountant who retired as Managing Partner of the Ernst & Young LLP, Jackson, Mississippi, office after more than 30 years of service. Mr. Sanders has extensive audit, merger and acquisition accounting and valuation-advisory experience. In his practice, Mr. Sanders advised private companies searching for bolt-on acquisitions and engaging in initial public offerings. Mr. Sanders also has broad experience providing industry verticals with audit services and various acquisition audits and related services.

Mr. Sanders was promoted to partner at Ernst & Young in 1986. During his tenure, Mr. Sanders was increasingly responsible for human capital management, including hiring, retention and client-side staffing for the Jackson, Mississippi, office. He also supervised the Jackson, Mississippi, office’s ethics, legal and regulatory compliance prior to his retirement in 2002 as Managing Partner. Mr. Sanders’ early career included experience working part-time at a poultry company, which gave him insight into the poultry industry’s operating needs. Mr. Sanders served as a Lecturer at the Richard C. Adkerson School of Accountancy at Mississippi State University, where he taught accounting and auditing courses from 2003 until his retirement in 2017. His previous board service includes a directorship of Valley Services, Inc., a privately held national contract food services manager, from 2002 until Elior North America acquired the business in 2012. Mr. Sanders’ community activities include service as Chairman of the Finance Committee of the Broadmoor Baptist Church in Madison, Mississippi.

Mr. Sanders earned his B.S of Accountancy at Mississippi State University in 1968 and Masters in Business Administration in 1969. The Board believes that Mr. Sanders’ extensive audit, accounting and finance experience, in addition to his human capital management and leadership record, qualify him to serve on the Board.

Camille S. Young was elected to the Board as an independent director in 2021. Ms. Young brings more than twenty years of government affairs experience with Mississippi’s elected state and local government officials. Ms. Young maintains deep relationships with business leaders and community influencers nationally and across the state of Mississippi. She deploys her issue expertise and relationships to help clients navigate policies, create and drive effective advocacy campaigns, utilize business and development opportunities and craft successful public affairs efforts. In her practice, Ms. Young also helps clients pursue mergers and acquisitions, navigate supply chain complexities and manage value chain risks.

Ms. Young currently serves as Principal and Director of Cornerstone Government Affairs, a full-service, bipartisan consulting firm specializing in federal and state government relations, public affairs and strategic communications and advisory services. At Cornerstone, Mr. Young co-chairs the firm’s Diversity and Inclusion Working Group. Ms. Young joined the firm in 2011. Previously, Ms. Young served as a government affairs representative with one of Mississippi’s leading law firms, Watkins Ludlam Winter & Stennis,
from 2001 to 2011, where she was a member of the Government Affairs practice group. She was responsible for managing clients’ legislative advocacy, public affairs and community relations efforts. Prior to joining Watkins Ludlam, Ms. Young served the Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation for five years in various roles as a communications specialist, director of media relations and a government relations specialist. She also held a position with the United States Department of Agriculture as an outreach and public affairs specialist.

Ms. Young serves as a member of the inaugural Diversity and Inclusion Committee of the Madison County Business League and Foundation in Mississippi. She previously served as President of the Mississippi State University National Alumni Association, where, during her tenure, she helped drive increased participation by diverse members of the alumni base. Ms. Young has contributed to community activities such as the Greater Jackson Chamber Partnership Board of Directors, the Junior League of Jackson Sustainers Board of Directors, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, and the Mississippi 4-H Foundation. Ms. Young’s public board service includes Mississippi Power Company, a subsidiary of Southern Company. She also serves on the board of privately-held BankFirst Financial Services.

Ms. Young earned her B.A. in Communication and M.S. in Agriculture & Extension Education from Mississippi State University. The Board believes that Ms. Young’s extensive human capital, government and regulatory relations, risk management and strategic planning experience qualify her to serve on the Board