For 42 years, Bob Givens has been a part of Delta agriculture.
On Thursday, a large gathering of farmers and agricultural types came to the Leflore County Farm Service Agency to see Givens off.
“I have a lot of friends. ... Trust shows,” he said.
Givens, 71, retired as county executive director on Jan. 3 after serving in that capacity since 1982. The Farm Service Agency administers federal farm programs, such as the Farm Bill, and works directly with farmers in the county.
“I retired because I reached my maximum benefits,” he said. “I would probably be not too smart to continue to work and not get paid for it.”
Givens said he remains optimistic about his retirement.
“God gave me this position many years ago, and he’s going to have something for me to do. I’m going to stay right here in Greenwood, Mississippi,” he said.
Prior to his retirement, Givens supervised three program technicians in the agency’s office located on Brentwood Avenue.
Givens, who moved to Leflore County when he was 12, started measuring cotton for the FSA in 1967. He was the county executive director of the Bolivar County FSA office before transferring to Greenwood.
Daniel Smith, Givens’ replacement, who trained under Givens and is currently the Bolivar County FSA executive director, will soon begin in Leflore County.
Smith, who began with the FSA in 2007, was selected by the county committee, a three-member board of county farmers.
“I’m proud to have been associated with this agency. Very proud. I’ve been blessed,” Givens said.
Givens and his wife, Mary Jo, have four adult children.
•Contact Bob Darden at 581-7239 or bdarden@gwcommonwealth.com.
