JOHANNS NAMES MEMBERS TO THE NATIONAL POTATO PROMOTION BOARD
WASHINGTON, Feb. 16, 2007 -- Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns today appointed 27 producer members and two importer members to serve on the National Potato Promotion Board. All terms begin March 1, 2007, and end Feb. 28, 2010.
Producer members reappointed to the board are: Ronald Ray Lehr, Jr., Bakersfield, Calif; David Radtke, Sanford, Colo.; Stanley Searle, Shelley, Idaho; Thomas Qualey, Sherman, Maine; Steven Mark Whited, Bridgewater, Maine; Wayne Leep, Shelbyville, Mich.; Jason Derrick Yazzie, Bloomfield, N.M.; Bryan Beck, Tionesta, Pa; and Michael Maynard Pink, Pasco, Wash.
Newly appointed producer members are: Kevin Campbell Johnston, Bakersfield, Calif; Sid Staunton, Tulelake, Calif.; Rodney L. Lenz, Wray, Colo.; Monty L. Smith, Blanca, Colo.; John J. Harper, Mountain Home, Idaho; James Hoff, Idaho Falls, Idaho; Brent J. Stoker, Burley, Idaho; Curtis Stoddard, Grace, Idaho; Carl Madsen Ball, Hamer, Idaho; Charles L. Lake, Ronan, Mont.; Jerry Strickland, Huntington, Ore.; Kevin William Weber, Moses Lake, Wash.; Larry R. Jensen, Mount Vernon, Wash; Nathan L. Cox, Warden, Wash.; Albert Stahl, Ritzville, Wash; John O. Morris, Jr., Ephrata, Wash; John Michael Grose, Terra Alta, W. Va.; and Tim Stevenson, Wisconsin Dells, Wis.
Sanjiv Kakkar, Lawrenceville, N.J., is reappointed to serve in an importer position, and Dale Beck, Twin Falls, Idaho, is newly appointed to serve in an importer position.
Authorized under the 1971 Potato Research and Promotion Act, the National Potato Promotion Board is composed of producers, importers and a public member appointed by the Secretary. Producer members are nominated at state and local producer 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 is related to the volume of imports up to a maximum of five importer members.
The board administers an industry-funded national research and promotion program to increase U.S. exports and domestic potato consumption. USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service monitors the operations of the board.
