Release No. 004-15

Contact:

Hakim Fobia (202)690-0488

WASHINGTON, Jan. 21, 2015 -- Agriculture Secretary Thomas J. Vilsack today announced 33 appointments to the National Potato Promotion Board. Each representative will serve a 3-year term of office beginning March 1, 2015.

Newly appointed members representing producers are: Segundo Diaz of Alamosa, Colo.; Jeremy Arnold of Felt, Idaho; Kent Bitter of Shelley, Idaho; Jeff Harper of Mountain Home, Idaho; Dan Moss of DeClo, Idaho; Dirk Parkinson of St. Anthony, Idaho; Kyle Lennard of Howe, Ind.; Jeff Edling of Becker, Minn.; Gary H. Gray of Clear Lake, Minn.; Leon J. Hapka of Argyle, Minn.; Chris Hansen of Bliss, N.Y.; Jeff VanRay of Pingree, N.D.; Kyle Slagell of Hyrdo, Okla.; Tyler Young of Little Compton, R.I.; E. Phillip Hickman, Jr. of Horntown, Va.; Jody Bailie of Mesa, Wash.; Molly Connors of Richland, Wash.; Randi R. Hammer of Pasco, Wash.; and Heidi Alsum-Randall of Cambria, Wis.

Reappointed to the board are producers: Dewey Crane of King Hill, Idaho; Jared Fielding of Shelley, Idaho; Brian Jones of Rupert, Idaho; Rick Likes of Shelley, Idaho; Alex Tiede of American Falls, Idaho; Christopher Wada of Idaho Falls, Idaho; Lynn Wilcox of Rexburg, Idaho; Shari Kitchen of Elmira, Mich.; Eric James of Elizabeth City, N.C.; Michael Brooks of Elmer, N.J.; Laura Huddle of Napoleon, Ohio; Lon Baley of Merrill, Ore.; and Douglas Poe of Connell, Wash.

Marilyn Freeman Dolan of Atwater, Calif., was appointed as the public member.

USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) provides oversight of the National Potato Promotion Board in accordance with the Potato Research and Promotion Act and the Potato Research and Promotion Plan. Under the Plan, the program is financed by an assessment of three cents per hundredweight on potatoes produced and imported into the United States. The program is administered by board members who are selected by the Secretary of Agriculture.

USDA encourages board membership that reflects the diversity of the individuals served by the programs. USDA encourages all eligible women, minorities, and persons with disabilities to seek nomination for a seat on the National Potato Promotion Board.

Research and promotion programs are industry-funded, authorized by Congress and date back to 1966, when Congress passed the Cotton Research and Promotion Act. Since then, Congress has authorized the establishment of 22 research and promotion boards. They empower agricultural industries, including the fruit and vegetable industry, to leverage their own resources to develop markets, strengthen existing markets, and conduct important research and promotion activities. AMS provides oversight, paid for by industry assessments, which helps ensure fiscal responsibility, program efficiency and fair treatment of participating stakeholders.

For more information about research and promotion programs, visit www.ams.usda.gov/FVPromotion.

Get the latest Agricultural Marketing Service news at www.ams.usda.gov/news or follow us on Twitter: @USDA_AMS. You can also read about us on the USDA blog.

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