USPB Chairman's Message

USPB Chairman’s Message

I'm KayDee Gilkey with the U.S. Potato Update brought to you by Syngenta and the United States Potato Board. Listen carefully so you can answer the Spuds, Scales and Sleds Sweepstakes question.

In March the United States Potato Board grower membership elected new leadership during their annual meeting. The new USPB Chairman is Connell, Washington first generation potato grower Rob Davis.

Davis shares one of the first priorities is to find a new CEO and with the help of a search firm are hoping to find a a new CEO within the next 90 days.

Davis: “The good part is we have a phenomal staff. They do a great job -- every department is tremendously successful. We need to make sure that all of those programs continue just like we have planned in our long range plan. Although we have a new leader coming, we are a middle of a long range plan so we still know where we are going. So I feel good about the position of where we’re at.”

Another positive aspect of the potato industry is all the segments’ willingness to work together as Davis explains.

Davis: “It is great to see how all of the potato organizations, in the last few years, have come together and just working together. Whether it be chips, or the processing, or fresh -- it is great to see everyone working together towards a common goal and I’m proud to be a part of it.”

That’s the U.S. Potato Update brought to you by the United States Potato Board, maximizing return on grower investment.