USDA Appoints Members To National Mango Board

Orlando, Fla. – Agriculture Secretary Thomas J. Vilsack recently appointed six 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 2012.

The appointees include four new members and two reappointed members. Greg Golden of Mullica Hill, N.J., Bill Vogel of San Pedro, Calif., and Wade Shiba of Missouri City, Texas, will serve on the board as importers. Enrique Sanchez of Nayarit, Mexico, and Bernardo Malo of Samborondon, Ecuador, will serve as foreign producers. Veny L. Marti of Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, will represent domestic producers. Mr. Shiba and Mr. Malo are returning to the board to serve a second consecutive term. Each of the appointees will serve a three-year term of office beginning January 1, 2012, and ending December 31, 2014.

The NMB is grateful for the service of the four board members, whose terms have ended. They are Ted Johnson of La Quinta, Calif., Cesar Garcia of Hidalgo, Texas, Sue Duleba of Hidalgo, Texas, and Tomás Paulín of Tecomin, Colima, Mexico.

On November 16, the board elected officers to lead the group throughout 2012. Ronnie Cohen of River Edge, N.J., will serve a second term as chairman. Jim Alvarez of Los Angeles, Calif., is vice-chairman. Serving as treasurer is George Mendez of Nogales, Ariz. Bernardo Malo of Samborondon, Ecuador, is the secretary.

“We have had the great fortune of working with many dedicated mango industry members in our six short years of operations,” said executive director, William Watson. “Each year we welcome the new members and help them get up to speed quickly. They have a big responsibility in their roles representing their fellow producers and importers.”

The newly appointed board members will participate in their first board meeting when the NMB convenes next March in Petrolina, Pernambuco, Brazil.

About National Mango Board

The National Mango Board is a national promotion and research organization, which is supported by assessments from both domestic and imported mangos. The board was designed to drive awareness and consumption of fresh mangos in the U.S. One cup of mango is only 100 calories, an excellent source of vitamins A and C, a good source of fiber and an amazing source of tropical flavor.

Mango availability per capita has quadrupled since 1990 to an estimated 2.24 pounds per year in 2010. Mango import volume for 2010 was 770 million pounds. Learn more at www.mango.org.

Source: National Mango Board