Release No.: 040-16
WASHINGTON, Feb. 18, 2016 – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has appointed 13 members and alternates to serve on the National Processed Raspberry Council. Each representative, except for one of the importer alternate members, will serve a 3-year term of office beginning immediately. The importer alternate member will fill a vacancy for a term ending Dec. 31, 2016.
Members reappointed to represent producers from states producing a minimum of three million pounds of raspberries for processing include: Rob Dhaliwal of Lynden, Wash., and Adam Enfield of Lynden, Wash. Alternate members reappointed include: Jon Maberry of Lynden, Wash., and Mark Van Mersbergen of Lynden, Wash.
Hector Lujan of Santa Barbara, Calif., has been reappointed and will represent producers from states producing under three million pounds of raspberries for processing. Jonathan Michael Paris of Thousand Oaks, Calif., has been appointed as his alternate.
Eric Larson of Tigard, Ore., has been reappointed as an importer member. Tyler K. Edwards of Yakima, Wash., and Richard Rubin of Quebec, Canada, are newly appointed and will serve as importer alternate members. Rubin’s term will end on Dec. 31, 2016.
Members appointed as the foreign producer and alternate are Paul Sidhu of British Columbia, Canada and Mark Van Klei of British Columbia, Canada, respectively.
Laura N. Briggs of Brooklyn, N.Y., has been appointed as the public member while Loren Kimura of Moraga, Calif., will be her alternate.
USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) provides oversight of the National Processed Raspberry Council in accordance with the Commodity Promotion, Research and Information Act of 1996 and the Processed Raspberry Promotion, Research, and Information Order.
The program is administered by Council members and alternates who are selected by the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture. USDA encourages Council membership that reflects the diversity of the individuals served by the program. USDA encourages all eligible women, minorities, and persons with disabilities to seek nomination for a seat on the National Processed Raspberry Council.
Research and promotion programs are industry-funded, authorized by Congress, and date back to 1966. Since then, Congress has authorized the establishment of 22 research and promotion boards. They empower agricultural industries by establishing a framework for them to pool resources and combine efforts to develop new markets, strengthen existing markets, and conduct important research and promotion activities. AMS provides oversight, helping to ensure fiscal responsibility, program efficiency, and fair treatment of participating stakeholders.
For more information about research and promotion programs, visit the AMS website. For information on the council, please contact Hakim Fobia by phone: (202) 720-4835, or by email: hakim.fobia@ams.usda.gov.
Get the latest Agricultural Marketing Service news at http://www.ams.usda.gov/news or follow us on Twitter @USDA_AMS. You can also read about us on the USDA blog.
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