MPIC elects new chair, vice chair

Mike Phillips, supply manager at Walther Farms in Three Rivers, Michigan, has been elected chair of the Michigan Potato Industry Commission (MPIC) for 2025.

Phillips and vice chair Ryan Pelletier, also of Walther Farms, were elected during an MPIC meeting in East Lansing on Dec. 18, 2024.

The current list of MPIC commissioners includes:

• Mike Phillips, Portage (chair)
• Ryan Pelletier, Three Rivers (vice-chair)
• Ryan Norton, Vicksburg (immediate past chair)
• Phil Gusmano, Detroit
• Travis Horkey, Dundee
• Dale Johnson, Sagola
• Matt Skogman, Foster City

Phillips joined Walther Farms, which produces chipping, fresh and seed potatoes, in 2011. Previously the organization’s shipping and storage manager, Phillips participated in the Potato Industry Leadership Institute (PILI) program in 2022 and was elected to serve as PILI’s Grower Leader in 2023.

“It’s been an honor to serve on the commission the past three years, and it’s an even bigger honor to be chosen to serve as chair,” Phillips said in a news release. “Food production continues to evolve at a rapid pace, and it’s imperative that we come together to make sure the potato sector is at the forefront of that evolution.”

Pelletier, an agronomist and manager for Walther Farms, also participated in PILI in 2023.

Michigan ranks among the top eight potato-producing states in the U.S. annually and produces more chipping potatoes than any other state. Approximately 70% of Michigan-grown potatoes go to the chipping industry, with 20% going to the fresh market, 5% to other processing industries, and 5% used as seed potatoes.

MPIC was formed in 1970 by the Michigan legislature as the state’s potato research, promotion and education organization.