Gwen Sparks, (202) 260-8210gwen.sparks@ams.usda.gov
WASHINGTON, Nov. 8, 2011 – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack appointed two members to serve on the Popcorn Board. Representatives will serve a three-year term of office beginning Jan. 1, 2012 and ending Dec. 31, 2014.
The Secretary reappointed Mark E. Schleisman of Lake City, Iowa and a new member, Richard Duty of Denver, Colo., to the Popcorn Board. The five-member board is composed of eligible popcorn processors who distribute over four million pounds of popcorn annually.
“These appointees bring diverse perspectives and backgrounds to the board,” said Vilsack. “I am confident that the industry will be well served by them.”
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) provides oversight of the board in accordance with the Popcorn Promotion, Research and Consumer Information Act and Order.
Research and promotion programs are industry driven programs funded through assessments and administered by board members selected by the Secretary of Agriculture. This allows commodity groups to conduct promotion, market and production research and new product development for the benefit of their industries. AMS monitors board operations. Visit http://www.ams.usda.gov/FVPromotion for more information about research and promotion programs.
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