Texas Tech's Davis College of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources honored three leaders with the Gerald W. Thomas Outstanding Agriculturalist Award on Thursday (Nov. 10) during its 95th annual Pig Roast at the Lubbock Memorial Civic Center. The Pig Roast also celebrates scholarship donors, recipients and intercollegiate judging teams.

The annual outstanding agriculturalist awards recognize individuals for contributions to various areas of agriculture. This year's recipients are Terry Caviness for Agribusiness, Barry Street for Agricultural Production, and Charles Perry for Public Service.

Terry Caviness, Agribusiness. He received his bachelor's degree in business administration from Texas Tech (1969). Caviness is the CEO of Caviness Beef Packers, Ltd., a family-owned and operated beef processing business based in Hereford and Amarillo. In addition, he is the director and operating partner of CS Beef Packers in Kuna, Idaho. The CS Beef Packers is a partnership between the Caviness family and the J.R. Simplot family of Boise, Idaho. Between the two companies, the Caviness family process approximately 1.3 million cattle per year and employ 2,200. He is a past chair and director of National Meat Association. In 2009, he received the association's E. Floyd Forbes Award for distinguished service. He is also the former director of the Southwest Meat Association, and has served as a director or officer for several area non-profit organizations.

Barry Street, Agricultural Production. He received his bachelor's degree in agricultural economics from Texas Tech (1979). Street and his wife, SuDeline, raise cotton, wheat and cattle in Kress, Texas, as well as own and operate the Street Community Gin. He has served as president of the Texas Cotton Ginners' Association, where was recognized as ‘Ginner of the Year' (2015). Separately, he was the president of the Texas Independent Ginners Association. Currently, he is a board member of Kress National Bank and serves on the Swisher County Farm Service Agency. Street served on the Texas Tech National Alumni Board of Directors (2009-2019), serving as chair in 2018. Today, sits on the Texas Tech Foundation Board, and is a member of the Red Raider Club and Chancellor's Council.

Charles Perry, Public Service. He received his bachelor's degree in accounting and management information systems from Texas Tech (1984). Texas State Senator Perry is a practicing certified public accountant based in Lubbock. He was elected to the Texas Senate in 2014, after serving two terms in the Texas House of Representatives. Today, he chairs the Senate Committee on Water, Agriculture & Rural Affairs and is vice-chair of the Senate Health & Human Services Committee. Perry also sits on the Senate Committees for Education, Finance, Transportation & Redistricting, and co-chairs the State Water Implementation Fund for the Texas Advisory Committee. He has been appointed to the Southwestern States Water Commission, Western States Water Council, and the Texas Sunset Commission. 

The outstanding agriculturalist awards, established in 1969, are named for Gerald Thomas, who served as dean of Tech's College of Agricultural Sciences from 1958 to 1970.

CONTACT: Tracee Murph, Assistant Director of Alumni Relations and Manager of the Texas Tech Dairy Barn, Davis College of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources, Texas Tech University at (806) 742-2802 or tracee.murph@ttu.edu

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