Nominations Open for 2027 Potatoes USA Board Members

DENVER — May 12, 2026 — Potatoes USA is pleased to announce that nominations are now open for new board members for the 2027 term. The board is seeking nominees to fill 55 open seats, with all terms beginning in March 2027.

The Potatoes USA board is currently seeking qualified nominees to succeed outgoing members in the following states:

• For one-year terms ending February 29, 2028: Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, West Virginia, and Wyoming.
• For two-year terms ending February 28, 2029: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho (two seats), Indiana, and Wisconsin.
• For three-year terms ending February 28, 2030: Colorado, Florida, Idaho (eight seats), Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota (two seats), Ohio, Oregon (two seats), Virginia, Washington (three seats), Wisconsin, and Importers (two seats).

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

Shortly, all state potato organizations will receive the information and materials to begin the process of seeking and nominating interested growers. Appointed growers will be seated on the board at the 2027 Spring Meeting in Denver, March 8-10, 2027.

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 board meetings for the entirety of their term:
  • Spring Meeting: Held in Denver, Colorado, the second week of March.
  • Summer Meeting: Held in July or early August. The location changes each year.
  • Strategy Meeting: Held in Denver, Colorado, late fall or early winter.
• 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 on a regular basis.
• Take the time to 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 by your state grower leadership to fill an open spot representing your state, please contact your state program manager. Alternatively, contact Chelsea Gray at Potatoes USA:

Chelsea Gray
Director of Administrative Affairs
Potatoes USA
(303) 873-2332
ch*****@*********sa.com

The nominating process will be completed by August 15, 2026.

Diversity Statement

Potatoes USA is open to all individuals without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, or marital status, and it is Potatoes USA’s policy that membership on the Board and its committees reflect the diversity of individuals served by its programs. It is therefore the Board’s policy to have the representation of producers from diverse backgrounds on its board and strongly encourages women, younger growers, minorities, and persons with disabilities to seek nominations to the Board and to participate in the Board’s activities.