Orlando, Fla. (December 2, 2010) – Agriculture Secretary Thomas J. Vilsack appointed seven members to serve on the National Mango Board (NMB). Meanwhile, at the board’s November meeting, current board members elected officers to serve in various leadership roles for 2011.
The appointees include six new members and one reappointed member. Thomas Wade Shiba of Missouri City, TX; George Mendez of Nogales, AZ; Jorge Eustacio Perez Calderon of Rio Rico, AZ; and James Alvarez of Los Angeles, CA will serve on the board as importers. Jorge Armando Celis Moreno of Mazatlan, Mexico; Reynaldo Hilbck of Piura, Peru; and Flavio Muranaka of Petrolina, Brazil will serve as foreign producers. Mr. Muranaka will serve a second consecutive term. With the exception of Thomas Wade Shiba, whose term will end December 31, 2011, each of the appointees will serve a three-year term of office beginning January 1, 2011, and ending December 31, 2013.
The NMB is grateful for the service of the five board members, whose terms have ended. They are Larry Nienkerk of Burlingame, CA; Caleb “Cliff” Cavazos of Rio Rico, AZ; Ismael Diaz of Rio Rico, AZ; Paul Barclay of Lima, Peru; and Yamil Farah of Guayaquil, Ecuador. Mr. Nienkerk will remain on the board in the role of ex-officio as he is the immediate past chairman of the organization. Isabel Freeland of San Diego, CA is leaving the board, having served as ex-officio during 2010.
On November 17, the board elected officers to lead the group throughout 2011. Ronnie Cohen of River Edge, NJ will serve as chairman. Ted Johnson of La Quinta, CA is vice-chairman. Serving as treasurer is Ken Nabal of Boca Raton, FL. Bernardo Malo of Guayaquil, Ecuador is the new secretary.
We have had the great fortune of working with a diverse cross-section of the mango industry in our five short years of operations,” said executive director, William Watson. “I’m grateful for the dedication and hard work of our outgoing board members, and I know the new board members and new officers are excited about serving. Each of them will be a steward of the mango industry’s resources, and I’m confident that they take that role very seriously.”
The newly appointed board members will participate in their first board meeting when the NMB convenes next March in Guatemala.
Source: National Mango Board
