It hasn't been easy but John Keeling, new executive director of the National Potato Council, is putting a new office together in Washington, DC.
Keeling has been on the receiving end of many boxes and file cabinets over the past few weeks. He is undaunted in putting the new East Coast NPC office back together.
Growers voted to move the office from Denver to Washington, DC, last summer. Since Executive Director Bud Middaugh was retiring at the end of 2001, the growers waited for his stepping-down to complete the move.
Keeling says it will be an uphill struggle, not only learning filing systems and procedures, but with a new staff he is putting in place.
Despite this, he is single-handedly tackling the potato files. However, he says Middaugh, after sending the final boxes, is expected to travel to D.C. and help Keeling in his orientation.
Keeling has the new phone numbers in place. The fax machine and e-mail connections will be made today.