Release No.: 038-16
WASHINGTON, Feb. 18, 2016 – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has appointed six members to serve on the National Mango Board. They will serve 3-year terms beginning immediately, and ending on Dec. 31, 2018.
The members include first handler Patrick F. Dueire of New Castle, Del.; along with importers Michael B. Warren of Parkland, Fla.; Susan Underwood of Saint Petersburg, Fla.; Sergio Palala of San Carlos, Calif. Also appointed are foreign producers Tomas Paulin Quezada of Colima, Mexico and Jacqueline Abuhayar of Guayaquil, Ecuador.
USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) provides oversight of the board in accordance with the Commodity Promotion, Research, and Information Act of 1996 and the Mango Promotion, Research, and Information Order. The program is administered by board members who are selected by the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture.
USDA encourages board membership that reflects the diversity of the individuals served by the programs. USDA encourages all eligible women, minorities, and persons with disabilities to seek nomination for a seat on the National Mango Board.
Research and promotion programs are industry-funded, were authorized by Congress, and date back to 1966, when Congress passed the Cotton Research and Promotion Act. Since then, Congress has authorized the establishment of 22 research and promotion boards. They empower farmers and ranchers to leverage their own resources to develop new markets, strengthen existing markets, and conduct important research and promotion activities. AMS provides oversight, paid for by industry assessments, which ensures fiscal responsibility, program efficiency and fair treatment of participating stakeholders.
For more information about research and promotion programs, visit www.ams.usda.gov/rules-regulations/research-promotion. For information on the board, contact Jeanette Palmer, Marketing Specialist by phone: (202) 720-9915, or email: Jeanette.Palmer@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.
USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. To file a complaint of discrimination, write: USDA, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Office of Adjudication, 1400 Independence Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (866) 632-9992 (Toll-free Customer Service), (800) 877-8339 (Local or Federal relay), (866) 377-8642 (Relay voice users).