DENVER — On Monday, February 6, 2012, United States Secretary of Agriculture Thomas J. Vilsack appointed/reappointed 32 grower members to serve on the United States Potato Board (USPB) for three-year terms beginning March 1, 2012, and ending February 28, 2015. One importer member was appointed for a one-year term beginning March 1, 2012 and ending February 28, 2013.
Reappointed members are: Kathy Blasdel, Pasco, Washington; Mike Carter, Rosholt, Wisconsin; Roger Christensen, Center, Colorado; Ryan Cranney, Oakley, Idaho; Adam Culler, Samaria, Michigan; Peter Ewing, Big Lake, Minnesota; Brett Jensen, Idaho Falls, Idaho; Mitch Jorde, Cando, North Dakota; Stacy Kniveton, Pasco Washington; Diana Martinez, Royal City, Washington; John Meyer, Cohocton, New York; Wyatt Penfold, Driggs, Idaho; Bruce Richardson, Capeville, Virginia; and Lonnie Spokely, Nielsville, Minnesota.
Newly appointed members are: Wayne “Skeeter” Amstad, Sherwood, Oregon; Lon Baley, Malin, Oregon; Mike Brooks, Elmer, New Jersey; Alan Brown, Cheyenne, Wyoming; Dewey Crane, King Hill, Idaho; Jared Fielding, Shelley, Idaho; Laura Huddle, Napoleon, Ohio; Reuben James, Elizabeth City, North Carolina; Brian Jones, Paul, Idaho; Sanjiv Kakkar, Trenton, New Jersey; Shari Kitchen, Elmira, Michigan; Rick Likes, Shelley, Idaho; Doug Poe, Connell, Washington; Garth Steed, Malta, Idaho; Joseph Thompson, Alliance, Nebraska; Alex Tiede, American Falls, Idaho; Ted Tschirky, Connell, Washington; Chris Wada, Idaho Falls, Idaho; and Lynn Wilcox, Rexburg, Idaho.
Authorized under the 1971 Potato Research and Promotion Act, the National Potato Promotion Board (dba United States Potato Board) is composed of growers, importers and a public member
appointed by the Secretary. Grower members are nominated at state and local grower meetings and by mail ballot. Each state is entitled to at least one producer member, and additional members are allotted on the basis of the volume of production. Importer members are nominated by importers, and the number of members—up to a maximum of five—is related to the volume of imports.
The USPB administers an industry-funded national research and promotion program to increase US exports and domestic potato consumption, uspotatoes.com.
USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service monitors the operations of the board. More information about the research and promotion programs is at www.ams.usda.gov/FVPromotion.
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: United States Potato Board
