Release No.: 051-16
WASHINGTON, March 4, 2016 – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has appointed 12 members to serve on the National Watermelon Promotion Board. The appointees will serve for three years beginning immediately and ending on Dec. 31, 2018.
New members are Deleon Bass of Clinton, N.C.; Angela O’Neal of Bluffton, S.C.; Michael W. Bunch of Murfreesboro, N.C.; Richard Minor of Americus, Ga.; Rob Greene of Arabi, Ga.; Michael Martori of Phoenix, Ariz.; Luke B. Brown of Center, Texas; Jesse James Wiggins of Center, Texas; and Michael Dreyer of Edinburg, Texas.
Members re-appointed include Joshua Allan Moore of Turkey, N.C., and Brad W. Jones of Clermont, Fla.
The importer member appointed is Alan M. Guzi of Delray Beach, Fla., who will complete a two-year term beginning immediately.
USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) provides oversight of the board in accordance with the Watermelon Research and Promotion Act and the Watermelon Research and Promotion Plan. The program is administered by board members who are selected by the Secretary of Agriculture.
USDA encourages board 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 Watermelon Promotion Board.
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 Tarun Harit by phone: (202) 720-9915, or e-mail: Tarun.Harit@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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