Potato Growers Select 2012 NPC Leadership

Washington, D.C. – At the National Potato Council’s (NPC) 2012 Annual Meeting, held January 6-7, 2012, in Orlando, Fla., Steve Crane of Exeter, Maine, was elected to serve as NPC’s president for 2012 and to lead the Executive Committee.

NPC delegates also approved Randy Mullen of Pasco, Wash., as first vice president and vice president of the Legislative and Government Affairs Committee and Randy Hardy of Oakley, Idaho, as vice president of the Trade Affairs Committee. New members of the Executive Committee include Dwayne Weyers of Monte Vista, Colo., as vice president of the Finance and Office Procedures Committee, Dan Lake of Ronan, Mont., as vice president of the Environmental Affairs Committee, and Jim Tiede of American Falls, Idaho, as vice president of the Grower and Public Relations Committee. Justin Dagen of Karlstad, Minn., who served as NPC president in 2011, will continue to serve on the Executive Committee as the immediate past president.

The delegates also elected the 2012 Board of Directors. The Board members include:

California

Maine

New York

Pennsylvania

Ed Staunton

Brent Buck

Ralph Child

Bryan Beck

 

Dominic LaJoie

   

Colorado

Darrell McCrum

North Carolina

South Dakota

Miguel Diaz

 

Chris Hopkins

Milt Carter

Keith Holland

Michigan

   

Mark Peterson

Jason Walther

North Dakota

Washington

Harry Strohauer

Tim Young

Keith McGovern

Jared Balcom

   

Brian Vculek

Ellie Charvet

Florida

Minnesota

 

Nelson Cox

Danny Johns

Justin Dagen

Ohio

Cully Easterday

 

Jerry Larson

Todd Michael

Bob Halvorson

Idaho

   

Darrin Morrison

R.J. Andrus

Montana

Oklahoma

Ted Tschirky

Clen Atchley

Sid Schutter

Virgil Slagell

 

Todd Gerratt

   

Wisconsin

Dean Gibson

Nebraska

Oregon

Larry Alsum

Jeff Harper

Joe Thompson

Tony Amstad

Jim Wysocki

Klaren Koompin

 

Jim Carlson

Jeremie Pavelski

Steve Theobold

New Jersey

Nels Iverson

 

Kim Wahlen

Bill Brooks, Jr.

 

Shane Webster

   

NPC’s Executive Committee and Board of Directors are comprised of U.S. potato growers, nominated by their state organizations, and elected by their peers.

As president, Crane will host the NPC Board of Directors Summer Meeting being held July 11-13, 2012, in Bar Harbor, Maine.

The National Potato Council is the advocate for the economic well-being of U.S. potato growers on federal legislative, regulatory, environmental, and trade issues. Potato growers, along with the U.S. potato industry as whole, directly benefit from involvement in the National Potato Council. NPC supports the U.S. potato industry by monitoring issues affecting the strength and viability of the potato industry, influencing regulators and legislators on issues crucial to the industry's long term success, ensuring fair market access for potatoes and potato products, and bringing the unique issues and interests of diverse growing regions in the U.S. together on a national level. The National Potato Council is a voluntary organization supported by quota assessments from state organizations, allied industry memberships and sponsorships, and directly by potato growers through membership dues.

Source: The National Potato Council