National Mango Board Seeks Board Nominees

Orlando, Fla. – Beginning in April, the National Mango Board (NMB) will commence the nominations process for six board member positions with three-year terms beginning January 2013. The positions open for nominations include two importers from District I, one domestic producer, one first handler and two foreign producers. Candidates must meet certain requirements and be willing to serve the mango industry by fulfilling board member roles and responsibilities.

The NMB is made up of mango domestic producers, mango importers, foreign producers and a first handler who dedicate themselves to the mission of the NMB. Board members work closely with the NMB staff to execute marketing, research and industry relations programs to benefit the mango industry.

The U.S. Secretary of Agriculture ultimately makes the appointments to the board from the final slate of nominees. For each importer position, two nominees will be forwarded to the Secretary. In order to narrow the field from many nominees to just two, the mango industry members in that district will vote to select the two nominees per position from which the Secretary will choose.

For the foreign producer positions, nominations are accepted through the Foreign Mango Organizations (FMOs). All nominations for these positions will be forwarded to the Secretary for a final decision on the appointments.

Mango industry members who are interested in serving as a member of the NMB should visit www.mango.org/nominations for complete details and the necessary forms; available at the beginning of April. The deadline to receive nominations at the NMB office is May 8, 2012. Questions about the nominations and appointment process can be directed to Marilda Peele at mpeele@mango.org or via phone at 407-629-7318 x106.

The NMB encourages industry members without regard to race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, size of business/operation, and marital or family status or other basis protected by U.S. law to participate in NMB activities and seek a position on the NMB.

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