2025 Impact Awards: Don Flannery

DON FLANNERY

Executive director (retired), Maine Potato Board

Hometown: Fort Fairfield, Maine

Don Flannery’s first promotion in the came at the age of 12 potato industry
and cemented his spud-centered career.

Growing up hand-harvesting potatoes in Maine’s Aroostook County, Flannery graduated to tractor and truck driver as a preteen.

“I was sold! Never really wanted to do anything else but work in the potato industry,” he said. “Throughout high school and college, I was always exploring opportunities in the potato industry, and along the way I met so many great people.”

In his 27 years of service on the Maine Potato Board, Flannery witnessed many industry changes, including an evolution from reliance on the hands-on labor of his youth to increasing use of technology, including artificial intelligence. When a local reporter recently asked him to name the biggest change he’s seen in his career, Flannery replied: “Everything.”

“My advice for anyone in this industry is: Be prepared to change. It will happen,” he said. “Those that are involved and agreeable to change will be better off than those that aren’t involved and resist change.”

During his board tenure, Flannery helped secure federal and state funding for agricultural projects, including the construction of a potato research facility and infrastructure for potato processing plants.

“The one thing that I am proudest of is that when faced with the closure of Maine’s early generation seed production facility, the MPB directors made the commitment to take over the facility,” he said. “Seed is the backbone of all potato production, and today, the facility is stronger than ever and is ready to support the Maine potato industry well into the future.”

Flannery’s favorite variety is the Caribou Russet because of its taste and resistance to disease and drought. It doesn’t hurt that the variety was developed at the University of Maine, “but that is not the only reason it is my favorite,” he said. “It is because of the impact this variety has had on the Maine potato industry. It has been a true game changer in both the processing and fresh market sector.”

Flannery credits his three uncles — two potato growers and a dairy farmer — with instilling the importance of hard work and land stewardship. At an August dinner marking his October retirement, those attributes were honored in tributes from dignitaries including Sens. Susan Collins and Angus King. 

“It was a great honor to work for and with so many people with the goal of strengthening the industry and overcoming obstacles,” Flannery said. “It has been wonderful to build some friendships with people in the industry outside of Maine. These connections allowed me to be better at my job and be more effective in creating opportunities and solving issues on behalf of the industry.”