DENVER — The United States Potato Board (USPB) announces nominations are now open for new Board Members for the 2012-2015 term. Ten members will be elected to fill the seats of outgoing Board Members who are completing their second three-year term in 2009-2012.
The USPB is the nation’s potato marketing organization. Positioned as the “catalyst for positive change,” the USPB is the central organizing force in implementing programs increasing demand for potatoes and potato products. The USPB provides the ideas, information, tools and inspiration for the industry to unite in achieving common goals.
Anchoring the USPB’s grower-directed programs is a strong foundation of market and consumer research and analysis, critical information used to understand the business environment for potatoes.
All state potato organizations have received the information and materials to begin the process of seeking and nominating interested growers. All growers will be seated on the Board at the 2012 Annual Meeting in Colorado Springs, CO, March 13-16, 2012.
Board Member Guidelines
It serves the good of both potato production regions and the USPB by recruiting Board Members who will take an active interest in participating on the Board. A Board Member should communicate the interests of his/her area to the Board and carry the message of the Board back to his/her growing community. A nominee for the USPB should be willing to:
1) Attend the Board’s Annual meeting held in March each year of the three year term, 2012-2015.
2) Be active in the potato-growing community.
3) Be visible in community work, participate in local government, cultural or business affairs—someone who is a leader.
4) Be willing to represent and communicate with his/her constituents on a regular basis.
5) Take the time to actively support USPB programs in his/her area.
6) Speak to grower groups, newspaper reporters and interested parties about USPB programs, relating the value of the Board to all growers, how the 3-cent per hundredweight assessment is invested and ask for input from those interested in becoming active in the promotion of potatoes.
If you are interested in being considered by your state grower leadership to fill an open spot representing your state, please contact your state manager, or for more information, contact Alexandra Imhof, USPB Industry Communications & Policy Assistant Manager, at agrimm@uspotatoes.com or 303-369-7783. The nominating process will be completed by Monday, August 1, 2011.
Diversity Statement
The Department of Agriculture’s programs are open to all individuals without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age or marital status, and it is the USPB’s policy that membership on the Board and its committees reflect the diversity of individuals served by its programs. It is therefore the Board’s policy to have the representation of producers from diverse backgrounds on its board and strongly encourages women, minorities and persons with disabilities to seek nominations to the Board and to participate in the Board’s activities.
David Fairbourn is Manager, Industry Communications & Policy, at the United States Potato Board in Denver. The mission of the USPB is to increase demand for potatoes and potato products through an integrated promotion program, thereby providing US producers with expanding markets for their production. David can be contacted at 303-369-7783 or david.fairbourn@uspotatoes.com. For complete information about the programs, ROI results, resources and tools available to all members of the industry through the USPB, please visit www.uspotatoes.com. The United States Potato Board—Maximizing Return on Grower Investment.
Source: The United States Potato Board
