The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced the appointment of 10 members and nine alternates to serve on the American Egg Board. Eighteen members and alternates will serve two-year terms and one member will serve a one-year term. The term of members and alternates members appointed to two-year terms start March 2023 and end March 2025.
Newly appointed members and alternates are:
Eastern States
- Jessica Hanslik, Ridgeland, Miss., member
- Khalee Kreider, Manheim, Pa., alternate member
- John C. Watson III, Raleigh, N.C., member
- Gijs Schimmel, Lexington, Ga., alternate member
- Lake Wagner, Abingdon, Va., member
- Mark Sauder, Lititz, Pa., alternate member
- John Puglisi, Howell, N.J., member (1-year term)
Central States
- Thomas Edward Hertzfeld III, Whitehouse, Ohio, member
- Mitch Knapke, Saint Henry, Ohio, alternate member
- Mindy Creighton Truex, Warsaw, Ind., member
- Sean Delano, Whitewater, Wis., alternate member
- Jeffrey Cutler, Fort Recovery, Ohio, member
- Alex Weaver, Versailles, Ohio, alternate member
- Tim Zweering, Holland, Mich., member
- Ted Greidanus, Neosho, Mo., alternate member
Western States
- Clint Hickman, Litchfield Park, Ariz., member
- Tracy Ramsdell, Flandreau, S.D., alternate member
- Bruce L. Dooyema, Sioux Center, Iowa, member
- Pat Melena, Wayne, Neb., alternate member
The American Egg Board is composed of 18 members and 18 alternates representing three areas and is authorized by the Egg Research and Consumer Information Act of 1974. More information about the board and list of board members is available on the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) American Egg Board webpage.
Since 1966, Congress has authorized the development of industry-funded research and promotion boards to provide a framework for agricultural industries to pool their resources and combine efforts to develop new markets, strengthen existing markets and conduct important research and promotion activities. AMS provides oversight to 22 boards, paid for by industry assessments, which helps ensure fiscal accountability and program integrity.
AMS policy is that diversity of the boards, councils, and committees it oversees should reflect the diversity of their industries in terms of the experience of members, methods of production and distribution, marketing strategies, and other distinguishing factors, including but not limited to individuals from historically underserved communities, that will bring different perspectives and ideas to the table. Throughout the full nomination process, the industry must conduct extensive outreach, paying particular attention to reaching underserved communities, and consider the diversity of the population served and the knowledge, skills, and abilities of the members to serve a diverse population.
