Jan 8, 2008USDA Names Members of Potato Promotion Board
Acting Agriculture Secretary Chuck Conner has appointed 35 producer members and one public member to serve on the National Potato Promotion Board for three-year terms beginning March 1 and ending on Feb. 28, 2011, according to USDA. In addition, another member has been appointed to fill a vacancy for a term of office beginning immediately and ending on Feb. 28, 2009.
Reappointed to the board as producer members are: Noland Critchfield of Oakley, Idaho; Randy Hardy, Oakley, Idaho; Cheryl Ann Koompin, American Falls, Idaho; Bryan Robert Folson, Grand Forks, N.D.; Craig Steinbeisser, Zahl, N.D.; Lon Baley, Malin, Ore.; Keith Barrett, Shallowater, Texas; Terry Bailie, Mesa, Wash.; Stephen Connors, Warden, Wash.; Andrew Diercks, Coloma, Wis.; Brad Faldet, Waupaca, Wis. and Donald Brown, Pine Bluffs, Wyo.
Don Zimmerman of Fort Collins, Colo., has been reappointed to the board as the public member.
Newly appointed producer members are: Ernest Ford of Center, Colo.; Gary Lands, St. Augustine, Fla.; Jeff Gibson, Burley, Idaho; Bevan Jeppesen, Rexburg, Idaho; Alan Glen Parks, Blackfoot, Idaho; William Ritchey Toevs, Aberdeen, Idaho; Keith Labrie, St. Agatha, Maine; Alan Moir, Woodland, Maine; Tom Wingard, Elk River, Minn.; Joe Thompson, Hemmingford, Neb.; Tom Scott Campbell, Grafton, N.D.; Eric Halverson, Grand Forks, N.D.; Ben Tucker, St. Thomas, N.D.; Chris Warren Slagell, Hydro, Okla.; Troy Betz, Hermiston, Ore.; Molly Ryan Connors, Richland, Wash.; Rob Davis, Connell, Wash.; Greg Ebe, Custer, Wash; Chris Olsen, Othello, Wash.; Randy Mullen and Reid Reimann, Pasco, Wash.; Ron Mach, Antigo, Wis. and Richard Okray, Plover, Wis.
Tom Church of Wilder, Idaho, has been appointed to fill a vacancy for the term of office beginning immediately and ending on Feb. 28, 2009.
Authorized under the 1971 Potato Research and Promotion Act, the National Potato Promotion Board is composed of producers, importers and a public member appointed by the Secretary. Producer members are nominated at state and local producer meetings and by mail ballot. Each state is entitled to at least one producer member, and additional members are allotted on the basis of the volume of production.
Importer members are nominated by importers, and the number of members is related to the volume of imports up to a maximum of five importer members.
The Potato Board administers an industry-funded national research and promotion program to increase U.S. exports and domestic potato consumption. USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service monitors the operations of the board.
More information about the research and promotion programs is at http://www.ams.usda.gov/fv/rpb.html.
