David is the fourth individual to have served as Executive Secretary or Executive Director of the Oklahoma Peanut Commission since it was created in 1965.
Bill Flanagan served as OPC Executive Secretary from the establishment of the commission in 1965 until his retirement in 1993.
Mike Kubicek succeeded Flanagan, beginning his tenure as Executive Secretary in 1993 and retiring in 2015 following 22 years of service to the Oklahoma peanut industry. During Mike’s time with OPC, the position title was changed from Executive Secretary to Executive Director to reflect a more contemporary description for the duties of the position. Mike led in the transformation of the commission from a state commission to a private organization.
Dr. Ron Sholar succeeded Kubicek as OPC Executive Director, assuming the position in March 2015. Sholar, a Tennessee native, graduated in 1971 from the University of Tennessee at Martin with a BS degree in Agricultural Sciences and an MS in Agronomy and a PhD in Crop Science from Oklahoma State University.
David Nowlin began as Executive Director on April 1, 2023. He retired from the Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service in 2021 after serving in the Caddo County OSU Extension Office in Anadarko for 28 years. David has a BS in Agronomy and an MS in Plant Pathology both from Oklahoma State University. David completed his masters in 1980 with a thesis on peanut pod rot.
Prior to working for OSU David worked for Cargill, Inc in their seed division for 9 years. David held several positions with Cargill including technical sales in wheat in Enid, OK and Fort Collins CO, Regional Agronomist for Cargill Seeds in Waco, TX, sunflower seed production in Plainview, TX, canola production and sales in Plainfield, IN.
Prior to working for Cargill, Inc David was a private crop consultant in Oklahoma working with peanut, cotton, and alfalfa growers.
David married Tracy Myers in December of 1988 in Plainview, TX, they currently live in Anadarko, OK.