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As the 2026 Chairman of Potatoes USA, I want to begin by saying thank you. To the Potatoes USA board members, our USDA colleagues, and you, the people who make up our great industry, thank you for the trust you have placed in me as chairman of the Potatoes USA board.
To me, this role represents responsibility. Responsibility to the growers who invest in the program, to families whose livelihoods depend on this industry, and to the long-term strength of potato demand at home and around the world.
I also feel a responsibility to provide transparency related to the work being done on your behalf. With that in mind, I plan to continue these quarterly “From the Desk of the Chairman” addresses that my predecessor Steve Elfering began about a year ago. I found it helpful to get his perspective on Potatoes USA’s work throughout the year, so I will maintain this ongoing visibility.
We are a little delayed this year with board appointments and committee assignments, so I look forward to finalizing those at the Potatoes USA Summer Meeting in Detroit, July 20-22, and welcoming all the new appointees. For those new board members coming in, thank you for your patience. The team at Potatoes USA will be ready to hit the ground running with the new committees following that meeting.
In truth, nothing has slowed down at the Potatoes USA office. In April, I was able to join much of the team in Japan to meet with our international marketing representatives and listen to their plans for marketing U.S. potatoes around the world. Hearing their insights, expertise, and ideas firsthand only further solidified for me the value of having in-market representation and constant engagement with trade and government partners. We truly have a strong, capable group of people working on our behalf around the world.
One of the highlights of the trip for me was our meeting with the U.S. Ambassador to Japan, George Glass. We had the opportunity to sit down with the Ambassador and his team at the embassy to discuss the ongoing efforts to open access for fresh U.S. potatoes into Japan. The embassy team even served fresh U.S. fries during the meeting, which made for a great conversation starter and a reminder of the strong connection between our countries and our industry. I appreciated the Ambassador’s genuine interest in the U.S. potato industry and the importance of agricultural trade between the U.S. and Japan. He was very supportive of the work being done and expressed optimism that progress toward an agreement could happen in the near future.
As a small token of appreciation, we presented Ambassador Glass with a glass bowl filled with colored glass potatoes, a unique keepsake to keep our visit top of mind and symbolize the importance of potatoes and the strong relationship between our industries and countries. It was a meaningful moment and one that reflected both the pride and passion our growers have for this industry.
This felt like an important step in a challenging time. Trade pressures remain real, competition from around the world continues to intensify, and competitive agreements are reshaping global access.
We can’t control global supply cycles or geopolitics. But we can control how aggressively and strategically we build demand. That is our simple mission: strengthen demand for potatoes. The Potatoes USA strategic plan emphasizes long-term demand over short-term sales. And that discipline matters now more than ever.
As chair, my focus will be to ensure the board and staff remain relentlessly focused on this mission. And to be sure we involve as many industry members in that work as possible.
To that end, I look forward to meeting several Colorado growers on our grower outreach trip in the San Luis Valley this month. This is an opportunity for industry members to share feedback and insights with the executive committee. Having been on several of these trips before, I can assure you the knowledge gained is invaluable as we set the tone as your representatives for the year ahead.
I look forward to connecting with even more of you in person at the Potatoes USA Summer Meeting in July. This is an opportunity for the board to hear directly from Potatoes USA staff about what they’ve learned over the past year, and how they plan to apply those learnings to more effectively strengthen demand for potatoes in an ever-changing world. And, of course, it’s a chance for us to gather and collaborate for the good of the industry.
Registration for the Summer Meeting is now open; board members, please register now if you haven’t already.
Thank you again for your trust in me as your Chairman and for the ongoing collaboration throughout the upcoming year. Please do not hesitate to reach out to me with any questions or feedback at any time.
It is an honor to serve the industry, and I look forward to getting to work.