On Wednesday, Jan. 21, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Thomas J. Vilsack appointed/reappointed 33 grower members to serve on the United States Potato Board (USPB) for three-year terms beginning March 1, 2015, and ending February 28, 2018.
In 2012, the USDA challenged the USPB to develop a plan to communicate all USPB programs and opportunities to all growers in the United States and specifically to solicit interest in USPB membership and representation from minor producing states, or states previously represented by assigned proxy states on the USPB. Some of these states had previously been represented, but had since lost their own direct representation on the USPB due predominantly to years of steady industry attrition in these production regions.
The complete list of newly appointed USPB members is as follows:
- Segundo Diaz, Alamosa, Colo.
- Jeremy Arnold, Felt, Idaho
- Kent Bitter, Shelley, Idaho
- Jeff Harper, Mountain Home, Idaho
- Dan Moss, Declo, Idaho
- Dirk Parkinson, St. Anthony, Idaho
- Kyle Lennard, Howe, Ind.
- Jeff Edling, Becker, Minn.
- Gary H. Gray, Clear Lake, Minn.
- Leon J. Hapka, Argyle, Minn.
- Chris Hansen, Bliss, N.Y.
- Jeff VanRay, Pingree, N.D.
- Kyle Slagell, Hyrdo, Okla.
- Tyler Young, Little Compton, R.I.
- E. Phillip Hickman, Jr., Horntown, Va.
- Jody Bailie, Mesa, Wash.
- Molly Connors, Richland, Wash.
- Randi R. Hammer, Pasco, Wash.
- Heidi Alsum-Randall, Cambria, Wis.
Members reappointed to the USPB are:
- Dewey Crane, King Hill, Idaho
- Jared Fielding, Shelley, Idaho
- Brian Jones, Rupert, Idaho
- Rick Likes, Shelley, Idaho
- Alex Tiede, American Falls, Idaho
- Chris Wada, Idaho Falls, Idhao
- Lynn Wilcox, Rexburg, Idaho
- Shari Kitchen, Elmira, Mich.
- Eric James, Elizabeth City, N.C.
- Michael Brooks, Elmer, N.J.
- Laura Huddle, Napoleon, Ohio
- Lon Baley, Merrill, Ore.
- Douglas Poe, Connell, Wash.
Marilyn Freeman Dolan of Atwater, Calif., was appointed as the public member.
Authorized under the 1971 Potato Research and Promotion Act, the National Potato Promotion Board (dba United States Potato Board) is composed of growers, importers and a public member appointed by the Secretary. Grower members are nominated at state and local grower 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—up to a maximum of five—is related to the volume of imports.
USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) provides board oversight, which ensures fiscal responsibility, program efficiency and fair treatment of participating stakeholders, in accordance with the 1971 Potato Research and Promotion Act. The program is administered by board members, who are selected by the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture.