Nominations sought for 2021 Potatoes USA Board

MONTE VISTA — Potatoes USA recently announced nominations are open for new board members for the 2022-2025 term. The Board is seeking nominees to fill a total of 60 open seats for producers from the following states: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming and Importers.

Potatoes USA is the nation’s potato research and promotion organization and is the central organizing force in implementing programs to strengthen demand for U.S. potatoes. Potatoes USA provides the ideas, information, tools and inspiration for the industry to unite in achieving common goals.

All state potato organizations have received the information and materials to begin the process of seeking and nominating interested growers. Appointed growers will be seated on the Board at the 2022 Annual Meeting in Denver, March 8-10, 2022.

Board Member Guidelines

It serves the good of both potato production regions and Potatoes USA by recruiting Board members who will take an active interest in participating on the Board. A Board member should communicate the interests of his-her production region to the Board and carry the message of the Board back to his-her farming community.

A nominee for Potatoes USA should be willing to:

• Attend the Board’s Annual Meeting held in March each year of the three-year term, 2022-2025.

• Be active in the potato-farming community.

• Be visible in community work, participate in local government, cultural or business affairs — someone who is a leader.

• Be willing to represent and communicate with his-her constituents regularly.

• Take the time to actively support Potatoes USA programs in his-her area.

• Speak to grower groups, newspaper reporters and interested parties about Potatoes USA programs, relating the value of the Board to all growers, how the 3-cent per hundredweight assessment is invested and ask for input from those interested in becoming active in the promotion of potatoes.

If you are interested in being considered to fill an open spot, contact your state program manager, Jim Ehrlich. Alternatively, contact Carrie Brown at the Potatoes USA office in Denver.

The nominating process closes on Aug. 15.