Today during the National Potato Council’s (NPC) 2022 Washington Summit, Jared Balcom of Pasco, Washington, was elected to serve as NPC’s 2022 president and head the grower-led organization’s executive committee.
“As I take on the position of NPC president, I’m hopeful we can continue to use the momentum we’ve built to leave NPC in a stronger position than when any of us arrived here,” said Balcom in his address to the organization’s board of directors. “Whether it’s in the areas of trade, nutritional regulations, environmental policies, or labor rules, we’ve seen firsthand what we can do as an industry when we stand together. As the country—and the world—reopens, we are hoping to get back to the new normal by advocating for a proactive policy agenda that is fighting for a brighter tomorrow.”
Balcom is the owner of a fourth-generation potato-growing and fresh-packing company, Balcom and Moe, based in Pasco, Washington. He previously served as NPC’s first vice president and vice president of the trade affairs committee. As president, Balcom will host the 2022 NPC summer meeting, June 16-17, in Nashville, Tennessee. The executive committee holds office for one calendar year.
NPC delegates also approved:
- RJ Andrus of Idaho Falls, Idaho, as first vice president and vice president of legislative affairs
- Bob Mattive of Monte Vista, Colorado, as vice president of environmental affairs
- Ted Tschirky of Pasco, Washington, as vice president of trade affairs
- Ben Sklarczyk of Johannesburg, Michigan, as vice president of finance
- Dean Gibson of Paul, Idaho, as vice president of grower outreach and industry research
The 2021 president, Dominic LaJoie of Van Buren, Maine, will continue to serve on the executive committee as the immediate past president.
This week, the 2022 executive committee is hosting the NPC Washington Summit, Feb. 28-March 3, which brings the industry together to “Stand Up for Potatoes on Capitol Hill.” This includes leading growers and industry partners as they visit with their representatives in Congress to communicate the industry’s policy priorities.
The industry’s policy priorities at this year’s Summit include:
- Supply chain challenges and inflation’s impact on the potato industry;
- Enhancing the U.S. potato industry through proactive trade policies;
- Encouraging the Senate to improve upon the Farm Workforce Modernization Act;
- Investing in the U.S. potato industry via the appropriations process; and
- Protecting potatoes in USDA school meal programs.
For more on NPC’s policy priorities, visit www.nationalpotatocouncil.org/advocacy.