           |
|
- Michael Elected President of
the National Potato Council
- By Greg Brown
Associate Editor
- Todd Michael, the new president of the National Potato Council (NPC), has high hopes for the coming year. The leader of the NPC has a busy agenda ahead of him with several key issues in mind.
Michael was elected Jan. 11 during NPC’s annual meeting in San Antonio, Texas and replaces Allen Olberding of Washington. He most recently served the NPC as the vice president of legislative/government affairs.
According to Michael, the first thing on the council’s agenda for 2002 was completing the move into the new office of the NPC in Washington, D.C. The possibility of working where the action is has the organization’s new leader excited.
“We are going to be far more efficient. One of the big advantages of the D.C. area is that there are companies that are designed to help trade commodities get their work done with a small staff,” said Michael. “We’ve done a real good job keeping costs down. Surprisingly, our office rent is substantially less in Washington.”
The new office opened Feb. 1 and Michael said that some people had concerns that moving the office back to D.C. would put the NPC out of touch with the grower, said Michael. “I think it is going to be the exact opposite of that,” he said. “The council has been doing more and more work in the regulatory arena and that is where I think we are going to do a better job.”
The staff is also being restructured which will also save the organization money. The new office location is 1300 L Street, NW, Suite 910, Washington, D.C. 20005-4107, (202) 682-9456, (202) 682-5892 (fax).
“We are planning a three person staff and hiring out some of the jobs like the accounting that don’t need to be as personable to the grower,” he said.
Michael will also be working closely with the NPC’s new Executive Vice President/CEO John Keeling.
“We are real pleased with John and expect great things out of him,” said Michael.
Other officers elected for 2002 include: Ron Buatte, Idaho, vice president of environmental affairs; Jim Wysocki, Wisconsin, vice president of finance and office procedures; Keith Masser, Pennsylvania, vice president grower/public relations; Dave Warsh, Colorado, vice president legislative/government affairs; Ed Macy, Oregon, vice president trade affairs.
Dues increase
State potato organizations also unanimously approved a dues increase for the NPC at the annual meeting.
The money was needed to help increase the NPC’s legislative actions at its new location in Washington, D.C. The council is also going to work on seeking more alternative funds to bolster the budget.
“We haven’t had a dues increase for 10 years and the cost of doing business has risen over that time,” said Michael. “We have taken a lot more initiative than we had before: tackling trade, phytosanitary concerns and market access issues. We are working more with other organizations building coalitions and relationships, especially with EPA. Thankfully we’ve got prices that are up out of where they were – and we want to keep prices moving in that direction.
The vote was taken during NPC’s annual meeting in San Antonio, Texas on Jan.11. The increase will occur over three years from last year’s level of $1 per thousand cwt. to $1.15 in 2002-2003, $1.25 in 2003-2004 and $1.35 in 2004-2005. By the last year of the increase, the new assessment rate will add about $140,000 in revenue to NPC’s budget.
“We did it in an incremental way and the increase doesn’t even cover the projected loss. It will be continually reviewed each year,” Michael said “The council never wants to take any more money than we need.”
Important issues
At the top of the issues agenda this spring for the NPC will guiding the Farm Bill legislation, attempting some changes in the endangered species act and providing input to any modification in the crop insurance scene.
“We came up with a really good agenda for the Farm Bill. We have been really successful, (so far) we’ve got 90% of the things that we wanted,” said Michael prior to any concrete Senate action. “Based on what happened out in the Klamath Valley last year, I don’t think there is hardly anybody out there that thinks that that is the way government should work.”
NPC will strive to keep the same situation from occurring again, in the valley, or elsewhere, he said.
Farming operations
Michael Farms grows over 2,000 acres of diversified crops including 500 acres of potatoes. Todd handles most of the potatoes, and his older brother, Scott, sells all the other vegetables produced. Younger brother, Kurt, handles the sweet corn crop and his brother-in-law helps with the crop protection programs.
-
-
-
-
|
|
