Mar 23, 2017New Potatoes USA board members sworn in
Potatoes USA board members were sworn in during its Annual Meeting held in Denver, Colorado, March 13-16. Of those sworn in, there were 20 new producers and two new importers as well as 16 producers and one importer who were sworn into their second three-year term. The members were sworn in by USDA Representative Hakim Fobia. All board members are elected by the potato producers in their states then confirmed and appointed by the Secretary of Agriculture.
Members are elected as representatives of their respective states to serve on the board. They can serve two three-year terms by being renominated after completion of their first term. The number of producers per state is determined by production volumes provided by USDA at the beginning of each calendar year.
The following lists the new board members as well as the renominated Board Members appointed to serve for the next three years:
New board members
- Jim Allen (Alliance, Nebraska)
- Erin Baginski (Antigo, Wisconsin)
- Kyle Barclay (Kennewick, Washington)
- Melissa Bedlington-Kleindel (Lynden, Washington)
- Jennifer Borowicz (Crookston, Minnesota)
- Melva Calloway (Quincy, Washington)
- Tom Enander (Grenora, North Dakota)
- Tim Gonzalez (Amherst, Texas)
- Jaclyn Green (Bakersfield, California)
- Aaron Hepworth (Burley, Idaho)
- Bryan Jones (St. Augustine, Florida)
- Travis Meacham (Moses Lake, Washington)
- Marty Myers (Boardman, Oregon)
- Shelley Olsen (Othello, Washington)
- Sheldon Rockey (Center, Colorado)
- Kevin Searle (Shelley, Idaho)
- LaVel Stoker (Burley, Idaho)
- Chad Sullivan (Pasco, Washington)
- Tyler, Tschirky (Pasco, Washington)
- Keith Wolter (Antigo, Washington)
New importers
- Ed Barnhill (Clermont, Florida)
- Vernon Thomas (Centreville, New Brunswick, Canada)
Re-nominated members
- Brandon Berce (At. Agatha, Maine)
- Bob Conger (Rexburg, Idaho)
- Mark Finnesy (Plover, Wisconsin)
- Katie Floming (Savanna, Illinois)
- Gerald Greenwalt (Quincy, Washington)
- Kerry Heilig (Moses Lake, Washington)
- Casey Hoverson (Larimore, North Dakota)
- Kael Koompin (American Falls, Idaho)
- Thomas Kress (American Falls, Idaho)
- Jay LaJoie (Van Buren, Maine)
- Dwight Little (Newdale, Idaho)
- Mike Madsen (Plymouth, Washington)
- Brandon Schaapman (Quincy, Washington)
- Eric Schroeder (Antigo, Wisconsin)
- Bill Sheldon (Ray, North Dakota)
- Jerry Tominaga (Rupert, Idaho)
Re-nominated importers
- Sanjiv Kakkar (Hamilton, New Jersey)
