US Potato Growers select leadership

At the National Potato Council’s (NPC) 2015 Annual Meeting, held January 9-10, 2015, in Orlando, Florida, Dan Lake from Lake Seed, Inc. of Ronan, Montana, was elected to serve as NPC’s president for 2015 and to lead the council’s Executive Committee.

National Potato Council Executive Committee 2015: Standing, from left to right: Larry Alsum, Randy Hardy, Dan Lake, Jim Tiede. Seated, from left to right: Dominic LaJoie, Cully Easterday, Dwayne Weyers.

Lake is an owner and partner of Lake Seed, Inc. in Ronan, Montana, where he farms with his three brothers David, Pat, and Tim. The Lake family started their farm in Ronan 79 years ago by his grandfather Acel, an Idaho transplant, who later turned the farm over to Lake’s parents, Don and Bernadine. He has previously held several positions with NPC, including First Vice President and Vice President of the Environmental Affairs Committee, Legislative and Governmental Affairs Committee member, Water and Endangered Species Subcommittee member, Disease Management and Seed Certification Subcommittee member, Voting Delegate for the State of Montana, and U.S. Potato Board Seed Task Force Committee member.

In accepting the position Lake noted his future goals as well as the positive impact of previous NPC Presidents, “I want to continue to build on the momentum that NPC has already achieved by staying active and focused on the issues that impact the potato industry the greatest. Ensuring positive results in all aspects of our industry is why I’m excited to be here to lend my voice and leadership. Our message has room to grow and we will continue our grassroots efforts that NPC is based on by reaching out to all potato growing states equally regardless of production volume,” said Lake.

NPC delegates also approved Jim Tiede from American Falls, Idaho, as First Vice President and Vice President of the Legislative and Government Affairs Committee. Additional members of the Executive Committee include: Cully Easterday of Pasco, Wash., as Vice President of the Trade Affairs Committee, and Dwayne Weyers of Center, Colo., as Vice President of the Grower and Public Relations Committee. Two new members of the Executive Committee were elected: Larry Alsum of Freisland, Wis., as Vice President of the Finance and Office Procedures Committee and Dominic LaJoie of Van Buren, Maine, as Vice President of the Environmental Affairs Committee. NPC’s 2014 president Randy Hardy of Oakley, Idaho, will continue to serve on the Executive Committee as the Immediate Past President.

Please visit nationalpotatocouncil.org for more information.