The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced the appointment of three producers to the Christmas Tree Promotion Board. Each member will serve a three-year term expiring on December 31, 2024.
Newly appointed members are:
- Bob Schaefer, Salem, Oregon (Producer Region #1 – Western)
- Mark Schmidlin, Salem, Oregon (Producer Region #1 – Western)
- Gary Westlake, Pottstown, Pennsylvania (Producer Region #3 – Eastern)
The 12-member board has 11 producers representing production in the eastern, central and western regions of the United States, and an importer member. Each member can serve up to two consecutive three-year terms.
More information about the board is available on the Christmas Tree Promotion Board page on the Agricultural Marketing Service’s (AMS) website.
AMS policy is that diversity of the board should reflect the diversity of its industries in terms of the experience of members, methods of production and distribution, marketing strategies, and other distinguishing factors that will bring different perspectives and ideas to the table. When submitting nominations, the industry must consider the diversity of the population served and the knowledge, skills, and abilities of the members to serve a diverse population.
Since 1966, Congress has authorized industry-funded research and promotion boards to provide a framework for agricultural industries to pool resources and combine efforts to develop new markets, strengthen existing markets and conduct important research and promotion activities. The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) provides oversight to 22 boards. The oversight ensures fiscal accountability and program integrity and is paid for by industry assessments.
