The Potato Leadership, Education, & Advancement Foundation (Potato LEAF) today announced the results of its inaugural fundraising campaign, which resulted in $2,158,000 in pledges to fund leadership development programs within the U.S. potato industry.
“Only two years after launching the foundation – and during a time of incredible uncertainty – it is remarkable to think that our industry could collectively contribute this amount of funding. The industry’s response validates that creating of the foundation was the right thing to ensure future leaders in the industry,” stated Shelley Olsen, a grower from Othello, Washington and chair of the Potato LEAF board of directors.
Pledges and all other contributions to Potato LEAF will be used to fund programs to strengthen the leadership skills of individual in the industry. Current programs include to Potato Industry Leadership Institute, annual $10,000 Graduate-level Scholarship, and the Leadership Institute’s Alumni Summit.
Additional information on the programs of Potato LEAF can be found at pleaf.org.