The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the appointment of eighteen members to serve on the Peanut Standards Board. To maintain staggered terms of office, six appointees will serve a one-year term, six will serve a two-year term, and six will serve a three-year term of office. The appointments are effective immediately. The newly appointed members are:
Appointed members serving a one-year term, expiring June 30, 2025:
- Larry Ford, Greenwood, Fla. (Producer Member SE Region)
- Dr. Darlene Cowart, Blakely, Ga. (Industry Member SE Region)
- Greg Hughes, Seminole, Texas (Producer Member SW Region)
- Dr. Michael Franke, Brownfield, Texas (Industry Member SW Region)
- David L. Davenport, Greenville, N.C. (Producer Member V/C Region)
- Carl Gray, Severn, N.C. (Industry Member V/C Region)
Appointed members serving a two-year term, expiring June 30, 2026:
- Marty McLendon, Leary, Ga. (Producer Member SE Region)
- Rachel Santos, Douglas, Ga. (Industry Member SE Region)
- Aaron Martin, Brownfield, Texas (Producer Member SW Region)
- Lupe De Lira, Seagraves, Texas (Industry Member SW Region)
- Donny L. Lassiter, Conway, N.C. (Producer Member V/C Region)
- Ryan Ososki, Alexandria, Va. (Industry Member V/C Region)
Appointed members serving a three-year term, expiring June 30, 2027:
- Carl Sanders, Brundidge, Ala. (Producer Member SE Region)
- Caleb Waver Smithville, Ga. (Industry Member SE Region)
- Michael Newhouse, Clarendon, Texas (Producer Member SW Region)
- Shelly Nutt, McKinney Texas (Industry Member SW Region)
- Paul Rogers, Wakefield, Va. (Producer Member V/C Region)
- Ashley M. Patterson, Suffolk, Va. (Industry Member V/C Region)
The 18-member board is comprised of nine producers and nine industry members from peanut production areas in the Southeast, Southwest, and Virginia/Carolina regions of the United States.
More information about the board is available on the Agricultural Marketing Service Peanut Standards Board webpage.
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.
