Potatoes USA adds 24 board members

Twenty-four members have been appointed to Potatoes USA’s board of directors, effective immediately.

Twenty members will serve three-year terms ending Feb. 28, 2029, and four members will serve two-year terms ending Feb. 28, 2028.

 Candidates are proposed by the industry and are appointed by the Secretary of Agriculture after a thorough review in the annual nomination process. The board has 90 member positions, including 79 producers, two importers and one public member.

The board guides Potatoes USA’s efforts to promote and support the potato industry and sets strategic objectives for the organization and allocates resources to various marketing, research and education initiatives.

New board members

• M. Keith Barrett, Muleshoe, Texas
• Richard Bernstein, Freeland, Maryland
• Chelsea Blachford, Baker City, Oregon
• Tara Cunningham, Mount Vernon, Washington (two-year term)
• Jacalynn Gumz, Endeavor, Wisconsin
• Leah Halverson, Grand Forks, North Dakota (two-year term)
• Justin Kyllo, Larimore, North Dakota
• Andrew Hyer, Moses Lake, Washington
• Kenneth V Irving, Caribou, Maine
• Brian Meisner, Holyoke, Colorado
• Austin Moss, Rupert, Idaho
• Mike Phillips, Three Rivers, Michigan
• Mia Reed, Pasco, Washington
• Jay Savage, Walpole, New Hampshire (two-year term)
• Ryan Tucker, Shelbyville, Michigan
• Laurie Widdowson, Kearney, Nebraska (two-year term)
• Mike Wollman, Warden, Washington

Returning board members

• Trever Belnap Lewisville, Idaho
• James Corneillie, Williams, Minnesota
• Sander Dagen, Karlstad, Minnesota
• Rhonda Kleyn, Quincy, Washington
• David Masser, Sacramento, Pennsylvania
• David Mundt, Firth, Idaho
• Levi Clayton Underwood, Pasco, Washington